Cheating Death
by NCISVU
Summary: This is a story about the time Tony crashed his car in a blizzard and woke up, naked, in a stranger's cabin in the mountains. Tibbs. Slash. More notes inside.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** This is another pre-series, alternate 'when Tony met Jethro' kind of story. Senior is a meanie head and so is Danny (Tony's former partner Danny), although he doesn't really officially make an appearance until part two of the story. Speaking of part two…

I put this together a bit differently than my other fics. Instead of doing a sequel (which I never seem to get around to) this one is just split into two parts. Part one is complete and can be read as a whole story that will (hopefully) leave you satisfied at the end. Part two is a continuation of the story. It's been started and will be posted as a new chapter in this story (instead of an entirely new story) but there will be a little bit of a delay in posting it. I'd like to get it going so I can give you guys regular updates rather than leaving you hanging for long periods of time between each chapter.

Thank you for enduring all the yabba yabba. Now for the story!

* * *

 **Cheating Death**

 **Part I**

 **Chapter One: Happily Never After**

Tony's heart jumped to his throat the instant he felt it. It was a feeling that both thrilled and terrified at the same time and in that moment Tony was thriving off of it. He had absolutely no control over the car speeding down the snowy roads and he loved it.

He let up on the gas as the backend fishtailed and instinctively eased the wheel first left and then right to get it straightened out and moving forward again. His adrenaline fueled hoot of excitement was interrupted by the GPS unit on his dash.

"Recalculating," the computerized voice announced.

"You've spent the entire trip recalculating," Tony muttered, wishing he knew how to silence the piece of equipment. Some day he would work for an agency that had equipment that actually worked without irritating him.

Well, he might if his father ever left him alone.

And if he lived through the night.

Both were unlikely.

Fishtailing his way up the side of a mountain in a blizzard, alone, chasing down a serial killer probably didn't bode well for him but none of that mattered much as Tony eased the gas pedal down more, pushing the car harder in hopes of closing the gap between him and Bobby Carter.

The joyride continued as Tony headed further up the mountain, slipping and sliding as he got closer and closer to the blinking red tracking dot on the computer screen in the passenger seat. He revved the engine when needed and eased off the gas just in time to stop himself from sliding off the road and down the embankment, all the time keeping a close eye on the GPS unit. It wasn't until he eased around a corner almost halfway up the mountain and found himself face to face with the fire engine red pickup truck that Tony realized just how inaccurate his GPS unit was.

"Shit!" he shrieked, wondering when and why Carter had turned around and was now heading down the mountain.

Before he had time to react, the barrel of a long gun came out of the truck's driver side window and the blast of a shot was ringing in Tony's ears. His chest burned as the bullet made contact just below his clavicle but the Kevlar he'd had the foresight to put on took away the penetrating sting. Another shot sailed over him as he ducked for cover and then Tony heard the clicking sound that told him the gun was jammed.

His relief was short lived when he heard the sound of the pickup's engine angrily roaring to life. Moments later his entire body jerked forward as Carter rammed the car he was in and started pushing him backwards. Tony pulled out his service pistol with one hand and fired rapidly at Carter while frantically pumping the brake and desperately trying to keep the Buick on the road but with all the twists and turns and the threat of his head being blown off if he sat up straight, it wasn't long before he lost the battle.

His stomach dropped as the car slid off the road and barreled, out of control, down the embankment that had provided so much thrill for him only moments ago. Despite the thick snow, the car picked up speed until it came to an abrupt halt at the base of a large pine tree.

"Shit," Tony slurred as the world around him began to fade. His last thought before he slumped lifelessly over the steering wheel, was that he was going to die all alone on the side of that mountain and his body wouldn't be found until the spring thaw. Bobby Carter had just claimed another victim.

* * *

Warmth. That was the first thing Tony noticed. He was strangely warm. He would've bet his bank account—as meager as that was—that death was a cold, uncomfortable experience. He'd been right about the discomfort. He felt like he'd been run over by a tank but the warmth was nice surprise and, he was guessing, eased some of the discomfort.

Tony opened his eyes and realized he wasn't dead after all. He was on a couch in what appeared to be a small cabin, in front of a roaring fire that smelled a little too much like the country for him. The heavy fleece blanket covering him added to his warmth and comfort and he smiled inwardly at the thought of someone caring enough to tuck him in. That was something he'd never experienced before.

He continued casually glancing around the room until his eyes landed on those of a tall, well-built man, sitting in a chair nearby with curious blue eyes peeking over the book he was reading. Panic set in and had Tony pushing the blanket off and jumping to his feet, ready to protect himself if need be.

It took him all of two seconds to realize that was a mistake. Not only was he dizzy, the dull aches in his body were now throbbing angrily.

The curious eyes never left him but an endearing smirk now accompanied them. Just as Tony was starting to get upset about the man's nonchalance, he realized what had caused the smirk. An embarrassingly high pitched shriek was followed by him frantically grabbing for the blanket and recovering himself.

"Why am I naked?!" he asked, trying unsuccessfully to keep his cool.

"'cause I took your clothes off of ya," the stranger replied casually.

"Well that's not creepy or anything," Tony snarked.

"They were soaking wet," the stranger explained.

"You coulda started with that," Tony countered, attempting to relax once again. The stranger's explanation made waking up in his birthday suit a little less creepy. There was something about this guy's calm demeanor and the no nonsense personality he seemed to have that really caught Tony's attention. He quickly decided he either _really_ liked him or _really_ hated him. He wasn't sure which yet but it wouldn't take him long to figure it out. He was good at reading people.

It wouldn't take long.

Bobby Carter.

He was there on a mission.

"Uh, as much as I'd love to stay and chat, I really gotta get going," Tony said, his eyes darting all over the room. "Are my clothes around here somewhere?"

The stranger remained calm despite Tony's growing anxiety. He didn't move from his chair but only closed his book and put it aside. "I don't know if you noticed, but we're in the middle of a blizzard and you parked your car in a giant ass pine tree."

Sassy. Tony liked sassy in manageable amounts. Apparently he really liked this guy, although in reality he'd figured that out long ago. He'd just been denying it and he would continue denying it because feelings and emotions, admiration and his _dick_ always, always, always got him in trouble. He subconsciously grunted at the revelation.

"That would explain why I feel like I got hit by a semi."

"Do you remember anything?"

Tony knitted his eyebrows as he tried to clear out the cobwebs in his brain. "I was chasing this guy," he explained. "Things didn't go so well when I caught up with him." He paused when he realized normal don't chase other people up the side of a mountain in a blizzard. "I'm a cop."

"Baltimore PD," the stranger said. He'd found Tony's badge and creds after the Kevlar vest he'd found under the man's clothes had piqued his interest. "Anthony DiNozzo Junior. Baltimore patrol cop. You're a long way from home."

Tony narrowed his eyes, not liking that this man knew so much about him when he knew nothing about the man. He also didn't like the questions the man was asking but that was only because he knew he shouldn't have been out there doing what he was doing.

"You know so much about me but I don't know anything about you," Tony said, hoping to put a lid on the stranger's curiosity. "And I go by Tony, by the way."

"Jethro Gibbs, NCIS," the man introduced.

"NCI-what?"

"I'm a federal agent. Tell me this, Tony," Jethro said. He stood and walked across the small living room, sitting on the coffee table right in front of Tony before bringing the conversation back around to his original question. "Why's a patrol cop from Baltimore chasing a fugitive all the way out here?"

Tony laughed uncomfortably, quickly formulating an answer that wasn't the whole truth but wasn't a lie either. "I guess I'm just an overachiever," he replied.

Jethro looked at him skeptically, waiting for him to elaborate but he never did. "Your partner, your superiors know where you are?"

"Not exactly."

"Is it safe to say this is an unauthorized assignment?"

Tony smiled sheepishly in response.

Jethro gave an approving nod of his head. Apparently Tony was the kind of cop who did what needed to be done, consequences be damned and Jethro admired that in a person.

Tony reached for the itch on his forehead but to his surprise, Jethro grabbed his hand and stopped him.

"Let's not open that cut up again," Jethro said.

Tony looked slightly panicked for a moment before reaching up and gently touching the itchy spot on his head to find it caked in dried blood.

Jethro carefully removed the blanket from Tony's left shoulder and gently prodded the nasty bruise forming just below his clavicle. "You took quite the beating."

"Actually I took a bullet."

Jethro ran his fingers across the bone, making sure it was intact before picking up the Kevlar lying on the floor at the end of the couch. "Lucky you were wearing this," he said, fingering the bullet still lodged in the vest.

"I think it protected my ribs from the steering wheel too," Tony replied. "The airbags in my—uh the car, my car, they um, they didn't go off."

"Your car, huh?" Jethro asked casually, his hand finding Tony's ribcage. He let his large fingers wrap around the side of Tony's chest, putting the slightest amount of pressure on the man to make sure everything was in place.

"I—I mighta borrowed it from the impound lot."

"Borrowed?" Jethro raised one eyebrow in amusement and Tony relaxed and smiled back at the man.

"Okay, so I stole the car from impound," he finally admitted.

"Ballsy," Jethro said approvingly as he put a little more pressure on Tony's rib cage. "Don't hold your breath, Tony."

"Didn't know I was," Tony replied, sitting a little taller. The warmth of Jethro's hand and feeling of caring human contact outweighed the pain from the pressure Jethro was using to check and see if he'd broken any ribs.

"Just breathe normal. I don't want you gettin' pneumonia."

"Are they broken?" Tony asked.

"Just a little bruised," Jethro answered confidently, after inspecting the other side of Tony's chest as carefully as he did the first side. He briefly examined the area on Tony's bicep where a bullet had grazed him before winking at Tony and chucking him under the chin. "I'm gonna grab the super glue."

Tony's eyes widened and he winced and even whimpered a little as Jethro removed his hand, taking with it the warmth and electricity the contact had brought. "Super glue?"

"Gotta take care of that cut on your forehead," Jethro called from the other room.

Tony's eyes were still bugging out of his head when Jethro returned. The man reclaimed his seat on the coffee table, right in front of Tony and wrung the washcloth out in the large bowl of warm water he'd brought with him.

"What'd you hit your forehead on?" Jethro asked, dabbing at the dried blood on Tony's forehead.

"I dunno," Tony answered. "The windshield, maybe? Steering wheel? The pine tree? It happened really fast."

"You're not much help," Jethro kidded, carefully prodding around the small cut that had caused quite a bit of bleeding to make sure there weren't any foreign objects in it.

Tony sat awkwardly, trying not to stare at the other man whose face was incredibly close to his.

"Is it safe to assume you're skating on thin ice with Baltimore PD?" Jethro asked casually as he continued cleaning the blood from Tony's face.

"Why would you ask that?"

"You stole a car. You're way outside your jurisdiction. You have no backup and I'm guessing you didn't tell your superior where you were headed. You're either arrogant enough to think you can take down this guy you're chasing on your own, take the credit and use it to get yourself a promotion or you know they wouldn't approve of this mission. You don't strike me as the arrogant type, Tony."

"It's complicated," Tony replied quietly, hoping Jethro would just drop it. He really didn't want to make a big deal out of it and the last thing he wanted to do was confess he had a vindictive father who had outed him to his coworkers in spite and that the same people he'd known and worked with for the last couple years all of a sudden wanted nothing to do with him. Judging by Jethro's military haircut and the USMC blanket covering his own naked body, his reception would be just as icy if Jethro found out his secret.

"Alright," Jethro said. "Let's get that cut on your head glued up." He would work on unraveling the mystery that was Anthony DiNozzo Jr. later.

"No offense but do you know what you're doing?"

There was a hint of an amused smile on Jethro's face. "I'm all ya got."

"Good point," Tony replied.

"Lean back, rest your head on the back of the couch."

Tony recovered himself with the blanket in hopes that Jethro wouldn't figure out his little secret on his own and before he knew what was happening, Jethro was standing over him with his legs on either side of Tony's, leaning in close with his face practically in Tony's again so he could inspect the cut.

"This might sting a little," Jethro said.

Tony inhaled deeply, breathing in the words Jethro had spoken so close to his face but not really processing them. The smell of coffee on the man's breath and his close proximity was much more intriguing than what he was actually saying. He fought the urge to panic when Jethro framed his face with his forearms to hold him steady while squeezing some superglue around the edge of the cut.

"Oww!" Tony squealed, struggling against the strong arms holding him in place.

"Relax," Jethro reminded him, making quick work of gluing the cut closed. "I'm almost done." He ripped open the package of steri-strips with his teeth and secured a handful of them over the cut to hold it closed before releasing Tony's head and inspecting his work.

"You coulda warned me," Tony grumbled reaching for his forehead.

"I did," Jethro countered, intercepting Tony's hand before he could start poking at the freshly glued cut. "You were just too busy thinkin' about your dick to hear me."

Tony's eyes grew wide as he scrambled for a response to the accusation. He wasn't quite sure what to make of the smirk on Jethro's face.

"How ya doin'?" Jethro asked, saving Tony from having to respond. "Warming up?"

"Oh yeah," Tony answered, "nice and toasty." He tugged the blanket up just enough to reveal his feet and wiggled his toes.

Jethro grinned at the sight before reaching out and squeezing Tony's knee in a way that had an anything but innocent effect on the man and then standing and heading off. "Go ahead and hop in the shower," he called over his shoulder pointing towards a closed door as he walked off. "I'll put some of my sweats on the vanity for you."

Mind whirring and heart practically beating out of his chest, Tony carefully eased himself up off the couch and headed for the bathroom. "Thanks," he called.

"Try to keep that cut on your head dry. And don't poke at it!"

* * *

Tony reached out in the quiet stillness of the night, resting his hand against the cool sheet covering the empty spot in the bed next to him. The tiny ache that that had been his ever present companion for years was growing and spreading across his chest. Maybe it was the cozy cabin tucked away in the picturesque snowy mountains or the fact that, at that point, he'd most likely lost everything.

Again.

Or it could've been—in fact, it probably was—the handsome hero, dark and mysterious, who'd rescued him, taken him in, stripped him naked without a second thought and cared for him as if he really... well, cared.

Whatever it was, it reminded Tony of the loneliness he'd been running from for so long; of his desire to find his happily ever after despite knowing that would never happen, _couldn't_ happen. He didn't even believe in happily ever after anymore. Happily ever after was a crock of shit. What he wanted only ever happened in fairy tales and real life was no fairy tale.

The truth was, he'd spent many hours in the dark of night questioning himself but the questions were getting deeper and keeping him up longer each night. All he really wanted was some peace.

He blindly reached for his cell phone in the dark and discovered it was still very early in the morning. A quiet sigh revealed his discontent as he very carefully turned onto his side, propped himself up against an overstuffed pillow and closed his eyes, even though he doubted sleep would come again. It was going to be a long night but all he had to do was make it through and then he could find a way off the mountain and away from Jethro and all the thoughts, feelings and emotions the man was causing.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: Lessons in Manhood**

Some hours later, Tony woke with a start after what felt like just falling asleep but unlike the last time he'd awakened to pitch black, the morning sun was glowing outside his window. He yawned and then yawned again but didn't make any effort to move. Instead he just listened as Jethro moved around the kitchen. The man was being quiet but Tony's senses were finely tuned after years of police work. Although when it came to Jethro and Tony's quest to get to know everything about the man, he knew he couldn't blame all of his hyper-awareness on his line of work.

The smell of coffee wafting through the partially open door was almost enough to get him out of bed. Almost. The bed was comfortable and warm though and Tony was unbelievably sore and cold and perfectly content to stay in bed.

Not long later, the bedroom door was pushed all the way open and the hallway light illuminated Jethro's silhouette.

"You alright?" the man asked. "Need help getting out of bed or anything?"

The rough, deep voice so soft and gentle that early in the morning penetrated straight to Tony's soul, distracting him from the actual words that had been spoken.

"Tony?"

"No, I'm good," Tony finally answered. "I can do it."

Jethro stepped closer and dropped a pair of jeans, a USMC t-shirt and a soft flannel shirt onto the bed. "Holler if you change your mind," he said before leaving Tony alone again.

Getting himself dressed was a long, slow process, accompanied by constant curses whispered under Tony's breath. He couldn't see it but Jethro continued his work in the kitchen, smiling at his stubborn houseguest's independence. After finally getting himself dressed and using the bathroom, Tony joined Jethro in the kitchen.

"Sore?" Jethro asked, eyebrows raised.

Tony grunted his answer and jumped when Jethro's hand suddenly appeared in front of him.

"There's 600 milligrams of Ibuprofen here," Jethro said, holding out a glass of water in his other hand.

Tony's initial instinct to refuse the medication was overtaken by the almost overwhelming soreness. He took the pills and the water and swallowed them down.

"Open your mouth," Jethro said as soon as he'd finished swallowing the pills.

"What? Why?"

"You're shivering," Jethro observed, revealing a thermometer. "I wanna make sure you're just cold and not coming down with the chills. Chills could mean infection and that would bad."

"Yes, Mom," Tony snarked with a roll of his eyes, even though he knew Jethro was right. The man had done a good job of doctoring him up the previous evening and Tony felt more sore than ill so he wasn't terribly worried but there was nothing wrong with a little reassurance.

When the thermometer beeped, Jethro took it from Tony's mouth and read it. "It's normal," he reported.

"Good," Tony replied. "I don't think I wanna add infection on top of everything else."

Once Jethro deemed Tony okay physically, he filled a cup with the steaming coffee happily burbling in the pot and handed it Tony.

"As fun as hanging out and playing house sounds, I really need to get back to Baltimore," Tony said. He took a healthy drink of the wonderfully hot liquid and immediately turned and spewed it in the sink.

Tony's borderline reckless behavior since he'd awakened after the car crash the day before both amused and intrigued Jethro.

"What is that stuff?!" Tony demanded, putting the cup on the counter and pushing it away.

Jethro grabbed the sugar out of the cabinet and the milk from the fridge and dropped both onto the counter next to Tony. "I don't know what they call it in Baltimore, but around these parts we call it coffee," he answered.

"We usually add water to our grounds in Baltimore," Tony snarked.

"The Corps doesn't believe in water," Jethro stated.

"And you thought since I was wearing the shirt..."

"I'm just teaching you how to be a man," Jethro taunted with a playful arrogance.

"I have more manhood than you would know what to do with." Tony couldn't believe he'd just said that out loud but the conversation unfolded so fast and it somehow felt so very natural.

"You forget I got a pretty good peek at your manhood last night," Jethro countered, not missing a beat.

"He was sleeping," Tony objected adamantly. "I don't think it counts if he's sleeping."

"Sleeping or not, your coffee drinking habits are the only thing that make me question your masculinity," Jethro complimented.

Tony's cheeks immediately reddened, much to his embarrassment, as he attempted to make sense of the whole surreal conversation. Was Jethro flirting with him? Was he hitting on him? Or was it all of figment of Tony's imagination after being outed by his father recently and not having had any truly satisfying, loving contact in far, far too long?

"Enough about my manhood," Tony said. If they kept talking about it, it wouldn't be long before his manhood decided to wake up and join the conversation. "I really need to get back to Baltimore. How can we make that happen?"

"I hate to break it to you, Skippy, but there's almost two feet of snow out there and it's still coming down. You're stuck here with me."

"Damn it!" Tony grumbled. He was going to be in so much trouble when— _if_ he made it back to Baltimore.

"Hope you slept well last night," Jethro said, ignoring Tony's outburst. "It's time for another lesson in manhood."

* * *

The last thing Tony expected to be doing was hauling split wood into the cabin as Jethro chopped it. The Ibuprofen had helped take the edge off the muscle aches but he still hurt. His entire body hurt in a way he'd never hurt before but apparently Marines didn't believe in pain either. Or at least in giving in to the pain.

Was that part of the lesson in manhood?

' _Oo-rah!'_

Tony watched his somewhat gruff host split each log with one smooth stroke every single time. He never faltered and didn't miss. It was impressive, to say the least, and Tony was most definitely captivated by the performance. The truth was, he didn't believe in giving into pain either and he was happy to do the chore with Jethro. It was actually fun, despite his achy, protesting body.

"Don't miss," Tony teased as he grabbed another armful of wood.

"Never have before," Jethro countered.

Tony hesitated momentarily, glancing over at Jethro. Either he _really_ needed to get laid or Jethro was purposely making everything sexual. He probably just needed to get laid and being in the house with a possibly flirty, good looking man wasn't helping the situation. Although judging by the look on Jethro's face, maybe he was doing it on purpose after all.

Tony decided to test the theory and really push the boundaries on his next trip out to the dwindling woodpile. Jethro had just split the last log and announced he was finished as he rubbed his hands together, brushing off the splintered wood chips. Before he had time to chicken out, Tony gave the man a firm 'good game' type of smack on the ass.

"Good work, Marine," he announced as if he were Jethro's drill instructor. "We just might make a man outta you yet. You deserve a reward—extra chow at dinner tonight."

"Mess," Jethro corrected, thoroughly amused.

"Huh?"

"Marines don't eat dinner. It's called mess."

"Mess? That wouldn't exactly have me rushing for the chow hall."

"Trust me, after the days you have, you'll rush to eat anything."

Jethro got over his initial surprise at having his ass smacked and continued with the chore, following Tony into the cabin with the last of the wood he'd just finished chopping. A smile spread across his face as he realized that not only was Tony accepting his advances, he was openly returning them.

The game was on.

* * *

Tony couldn't have been happier to relax on the couch after a long day of hauling wood and doing a few other miscellaneous chores around the cabin. As taxing as the day was, the work had been rewarding and Tony felt not only like he'd accomplished something but also like his contribution had been appreciated.

He cautiously stretched his legs out, letting the soreness work its way out of his muscles, and rested his feet on the handcrafted coffee table. The TV, which Jethro said hadn't been on in ages—Tony didn't believe him—was playing an old black and white movie which Jethro was completely ignoring in favor of the book in his hand and Tony was having a hard time focusing on as well.

"Did you make this?" Tony asked, pointing at the coffee table.

"Why would you ask that?"

Tony shrugged and immediately regretted it as pain shot through his shoulder but he pushed the pain back and continued. "Judging by the way you were using that axe earlier, you really seem to know how to work your wood," he commented.

Jethro looked over the top of his book at the double meaning of the statement and both men raised their eyebrows at each other.

"You have no idea how talented these hands are," Jethro commented dryly, "and yes, I made the coffee table."

Tony's ringing cell phone interrupted their conversation but he didn't break eye contact with Jethro as he reached for it. "Impressive," he said before looking down at the caller ID. When he saw who was calling, he struggled to his feet and headed for the kitchen.

"What do you want, Dad?" he whispered harshly.

Jethro strained to hear Tony's conversation but the man was talking quietly and the TV was still on, making it impossible. He looked at his empty coffee cup, decided it was as good a reason as any, stood and followed Tony to the kitchen.

The harsh whispers being muttered under his breath grew even quieter making Jethro feel guilty but he couldn't help but stare at the hand hidden away in the back pocket of Tony's jeans as he casually paced back and forth. Tony inhaled deeply at the rush of air that followed after Jethro passed by, taking in the sharp, spicy scent and letting the pleasantness of it distract him from the vindictive tone in his father's voice on the other end of the phone.

"You know what, Dad, I gotta go," Tony said. He didn't even give his father a chance to respond before ending the call and following Jethro back to the living room.

After several minutes had passed and Tony remained unusually quiet and completely uninterested in whatever was playing on TV, Jethro couldn't help but say something.

"You alright?"

"Yeah," Tony answered. "Senior's just complicated," he explained.

"Whose father isn't?"

The comment got Tony's attention and even perked him up. When Jethro saw that he had Tony's interest, he continued.

"That's why I joined the Corps. I wanted to get away from him."

"Did he leave you alone? Let you live your life?" Tony asked.

"For the most part," Jethro answered. "He didn't have much of a choice though. Boot camp's no summer camp. There is no calling home every night to check in."

Tony nodded and Jethro continued, surprising even himself with his openness.

"We fought again before I was deployed and didn't talk much after that. Eventually the phone calls just stopped all together."

"I wish I could say the same," Tony replied. "My dad showed up at my precinct earlier this week and told all the guys about me being—" He stopped short when he realized what he was saying. He wasn't prepared to out himself, at least not yet.

"About you being what?"

Tony swallowed hard, his eyes meeting Jethro's as he quickly figured out a way to redirect the conversation. "My dad's really hard on me and if I don't do what he wants, he assumes I'm screwing up my life and, well, let's just say he decides to help."

"What does your mom say about it?"

"I wish I could ask her," Tony replied somberly. "She died when I was eight but no need to let things get sad and somber. That's what Senior wants. That's why he called."

Jethro nodded, a look of understanding settling on his face. He really did get it and he didn't want the mood to grow heavy either but he felt even more connected to Tony and he couldn't help but share that with the man. "My mom died when I was little too." He reached out and patted Tony's hand in understanding and the two shared a brief moment of unguarded intimacy that was strangely comfortable and not the least bit awkward as the somberness passed and the light-hearted fun they'd been having returned.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: Mr. Manhood**

It wasn't until two days later that the snow had finally slowed to a stop but by then Tony had settled into a new routine at the small cabin and Baltimore was a distant memory. The fantasy life he'd been building in the country was much more desirable than the ruins waiting for him back in the city. Even better, Jethro had accepted him, encouraged him and was possibly even flirting with him—Tony still hadn't figured that out yet—instead of being disgusted by him like his other so called friends. Of course the man didn't know about his fatal flaw like the others did but Tony had no intention of telling him.

He slipped his feet into an extra pair of work boots Jethro had loaned him in preparation of bringing in the firewood the man was already outside splitting. He pulled the coat, hat and work gloves on then stepped out into the winter wonderland.

Jethro split another log and tossed both pieces onto an already impressive pile before giving Tony a playful 'you better get your ass moving' look.

"I know, I know," Tony protested. "I'm moving slow. Did you forget I was a car accident a couple days ago?"

"Excuses, excuses," Jethro taunted. "Looks like we might need a few more lessons in manhood." He brought the axe down on another log only to have one of the newly split pieces fly up and smack him in the wrist hard enough that the axe fell to the ground.

The 'fuck' came out of Jethro's mouth at the same time as the 'shit' came out of Tony's.

"Are you okay?" Tony asked, clearly panicked as he rushed towards Jethro. One look at the man's already swelling wrist and Tony knew the answer to his question. "You're not okay."

"I'm fine," Jethro grunted angrily.

"Your arm's bigger than my head," Tony grumbled. "You're not fine."

Tony muttered at Jethro, calling the man a stubborn fool as he followed him around to the small shed behind the house so he could put the axe away while Jethro muttered right back at him about properly taking care of your tools. The banter continued as they made their way into the cabin where Jethro peeled away layers of clothing so they could get a better look.

"We need to go to the hospital," Tony stated matter-of-fairly as he looked at Jethro's arm.

"I don't need a hospital," Jethro protested.

"I am literally watching your wrist swell right before my eyes," Tony said. "What if it's broken?"

"It's not broken," Jethro said confidently. He tried to move the injured joint to prove his point only to be stopped by immense pain.

"Where are the keys to your truck?" Tony asked.

Jethro answered by looking towards the end of the kitchen counter where the keys were lying amidst a handful of loose change, next to Jethro's wallet. Tony grabbed the keys and the wallet, grabbed a large Ziploc bag out of a drawer then ushered Jethro out the front door. While Jethro climbed into the truck, Tony filled the Ziploc bag with packed snow and formed it on his own arm before climbing into the truck and laying it on Jethro's wounded wrist.

"Alright," he announced, firing the truck up, "tell me you have an ice scraper in here somewhere."

Jethro reached to the floorboard and grabbed a long handled scraper with a brush on it and handed it to Tony. While Tony cleared over two feet of snow off the truck, Jethro rested his head against the seat of the truck, mentally scolding himself for what he deemed to be a stupid injury. And of course it was his dominant hand. He quickly realized he was going to have to cut his time in the mountains short. With his wrist messed up, he wouldn't be able to keep up with the chores required to live such an off the grid kind of lifestyle.

"Let's see what this baby can do," Tony said excitedly once the truck had been scraped and given a chance to warm up.

"You park my truck in a giant ass pine tree and I'll have your hide," Jethro threatened.

"I would never!" One look from Jethro and Tony suddenly remembered where the car he'd borrowed from the impound lot was currently sitting. "I'll be careful," he corrected.

The drive down the mountain wasn't careful by normal standards but Tony was cautious and Jethro seemed unfazed by the wild ride. He spent the time protesting the trip to the ER, writing it off as stupid and making sure Tony knew his feelings on the subject in no uncertain terms.

Tony didn't let the protests distract him as he slipped and slid down snowy roads. Once he got off the mountain, the road conditions got significantly better but it was clear the road crews were still playing catch up.

"Do you think you can stop boohooing about going to the hospital and give me directions?" Tony asked. "And don't even think about trying to pull a fast one. If you give me directions back to your cabin, I'll just find the hospital on my own." He didn't need to look to his right to know his passenger was glaring at him. "Don't worry," he cooed jokingly, "even though you're pissed at me, I still love you."

That statement caused to Jethro to raise his eyebrows but it went unnoticed by Tony who was more focused on keeping the truck on the road, a task that would've been impossible without four wheel drive. "Take a left when you get to the traffic light."

Tony glanced over at his passenger, attempting to assess whether he could trust him or not. The two maintained eye contact for a moment before a hint of a smile appeared on Jethro's face. Jethro reached over and turned Tony's head back towards the road with a single finger pressed against the man's chin.

Several twists and turns later, Tony was parking the truck in front of a small hospital and helping a still protesting Jethro out.

"This is pointless," Jethro mumbled one more time as they headed for the emergency room doors.

"You're just upset because it's my turn to give you a lesson in manhood," Tony countered as they stepped through the automatic doors.

The nurse that happened to be walking by paused momentarily and looked at them but continued on without saying anything.

The two shared a look and chuckled quietly at the moment of awkwardness they'd caused as they headed for the reception desk.

"We have another manhood lesson gone wrong, Doc," Tony informed the woman behind the desk. "Jethro here might've broken his wrist. He's kinda stubborn though and disgruntled about being here so he needs to be seen stat. He's definitely a flight risk."

The receptionist's stern expression slowly faded. "I'm not a doctor," she replied. "My name's Emily. Fill out the paperwork on this clipboard and the doctor will see you."

"Thank you, Emily," Tony said, as charming as ever. "C'mon, Mr. Manhood, we have homework to do."

"I'll show you my—" Jethro's grumbling stopped short when he realized Tony had almost taunted him into saying something inappropriate making both Tony and Emily grin. Before he could get too embarrassed, Tony grabbed his uninjured hand and led him over to a chair.

After the paperwork had been filled out, Jethro was called back to an exam room and soon after that sent off for an X-ray while Tony waited in the room. Tony had just made it through the eighty eighth bottle of beer on the wall when Emily and one of the nurses poked their heads in the door.

"You need a cup for tips," the nurse complimented.

"Oh, you guys heard that?" Tony asked with an embarrassed laugh. "Sorry."

"Don't be. You're actually helping keep one of our frequent flyers calm and trust me when I say _nothing_ calms this person down."

"Well, in that case, eighty seven bottles of beer on the wall. Eighty sev—"

"Before you get going again, Tony," Emily interrupted, "I can't read the birthdate on Jethro's paperwork."

"I'm surprised you can read any of it," Tony commented. "Mr. Stubborn Ass insisted on filling it out himself despite it being his dominant hand that's all messed up."

"So was he born in April or September? I can't tell if this is a four or a nine."

"Uh, I honestly don't have a clue," Tony answered.

"You... but— I thought you guys were? You don't? You're not?"

Tony stood in silent amusement while the receptionist fumbled over her words.

"I don't get it," Emily finally said.

"Jethro saved me from freezing to death when I wrecked my car in the middle of the blizzard a couple days ago," Tony explained.

Emily's eyes grew even wider and she lost her ability to speak so the nurse took over. Coincidently, it was the same nurse who'd been walking by the door when Jethro and Tony had arrived.

"You two have only known each other for a couple days?" she asked. She sounded just as shocked as Emily looked.

"You didn't think we were..."

"No! No!" Emily and the nurse quickly assured Tony.

"No what?" Jethro asked, entering the room.

"Nothing," Tony answered. "These two just thought we were knocking boots, that's all."

"Gee, I don't know why they would think that," Jethro snarked. "All you did was walk through the front door talking about my manhood."

"It confused me too," Tony joked. "How's the wrist?"

"The doc's looking at the X-rays," Jethro answered, resettling on the exam table. "Why are you harassing the nurses?"

Tony drew back with a loud, dramatic gasp. "I'm not harassing anyone. I was serenading them. They like my singing."

"You should hear him in the shower," Jethro replied, "especially when he starts gargling water in the middle of his performance."

"I have many talents," Tony announced proudly.

The doctor traded places with Emily and the joking ended as Jethro and Tony waited anxiously to hear what the doctor had to say.

"It's not broken," the doctor said, "but you do have a grade ii sprain. I'm going to fit you for a brace. I want you to rest it, elevate it, ice it and take over the counter painkillers to help with the inflammation and discomfort."

"I know the drill," Jethro muttered.

"At least it's not broken," Tony pointed out.

"I already knew that. I told you a trip to the hospital was pointless."

"You didn't know," Tony accused.

Jethro and Tony's playful bickering continued while the doctor fitted Jethro's wrist with a sturdy Velcro brace that would speed up the man's healing process if he actually wore it. He'd been a doctor long enough to know most braces came off as soon as the patient walked out the door.

Once the brace was on Jethro's arm, the nurse went over specific discharge instructions then, along with Emily, said goodbye to the two men who had livened up their day considerably.

Jethro looked over at Tony as the two made their way back to the parking lot and smiled. He'd never had an outing quite like the one he'd just experienced with Tony. Despite his career choice and all of his past life experiences, he never had adventures like he and Tony had had over the past few days but like everything else, all good things eventually came to an end.

"I think it's time for me to head back to the city," Jethro admitted reluctantly once they'd made it to the truck. "This is gonna make it hard to do chores out here," he explained, motioning to his injured wrist.

"Oh... yeah," Tony replied hesitantly. "I guess now that we know the roads are passable, it's time for me to find a way back to Baltimore."

The two shared a look when it became clear that the trip to the hospital was going to lead to an unexpected goodbye, a goodbye neither of them were ready for.

"I'm headed for DC," Jethro said. "I'm sure we can get you back to Baltimore from there."

Tony's smile was troubled as his mind worked overtime to figure out a way to delay their departure but he knew he couldn't and shouldn't. "Thanks."

* * *

They were doing it on purpose. Tony was sure of it. He'd been back in Baltimore for a total of three days and other than his boss ordering him to desk duty, no one had spoken a word to him. Tony had explained about the blizzard and getting snowed in, told his superiors how he'd spent his day off chasing down a lead only to have it slip through his fingers at the very last second. Of course he'd left out the part about who, exactly, he was chasing and how he'd borrowed the car from the impound lot to run his little errand. There was no point in borrowing trouble, after all.

Despite what he knew was coming, the smile, as fake as it was, remained firmly in place on Tony's face. His boss may have been drawing out the process as long as possible to torture him but there was no doubt in Tony's mind that he would be fired. Well, he would if his boss ever grew a pair, came out of his office and broke the news to him.

His stomach dropped when he heard a commotion behind him. He wanted to turn and watch his boss make his way towards his desk but he'd somehow lost his nerve and couldn't do it. Maybe he wasn't ready after all.

"Anthony DiNozzo Junior?" an unfamiliar voice behind him questioned.

"That's me," Tony said, standing and turning to find a familiar face flanked by two bodyguards. "You're the Director of NCIS." The man had just been on the news alongside the Director of the FBI, boasting about the capture of a dangerous fugitive who'd escaped from custody during a prison transfer. He'd given several press conferences in the days the fugitive had been on the run too. Anybody who'd seen the news during the past several days knew who Tom Morrow was.

"Director Morrow," the man introduced, firmly shaking Tony's hand. "I've heard a lot about you, Officer DiNozzo."

A gathering of Tony's coworkers formed around him and his visitor, including Tony's boss, making him even more nervous. "I don't suppose any of it was good?" he quipped.

Morrow's expression relaxed into a smile when he realized his mere presence was causing Tony's anxiety level to raise. "All good things, in fact," he said, "about your work ethic and dedication to your job."

Tony stood a little taller and a little prouder at the statement. He had no idea what was going on—probably divine intervention, he quickly decided—but he'd take it.

Morrow ignored the curious onlookers and focused directly on Tony as he continued. "I could use a man like you in my agency, Son. You probably have other agencies trying to woo you but I can assure you, NCIS is very competitive. Consider it. Give me a call if you're interested. We'll set up a time to talk details."

"Wait, you came all the way out here to offer me a job?" Tony asked. He was so confused. What was going on? No one was attempting to woo him. In fact, if Director Morrow had been any later, he may not have a job at all.

Director Morrow.

NCIS.

Jethro.

Jethro had set the whole thing up. How the man had gotten Morrow to play along, Tony did not know but he also didn't care. The man was saving him… again.

"Absolutely, I'm interested," Tony replied confidently as he accepted the business card the man was giving him. He looked it over before tucking it into his wallet. "I'll definitely be giving you a call, Sir. Thank you for the opportunity."

"No, thank _you_ ," Morrow replied genuinely. "You're destined for great things," he took one look at the piles of paperwork Tony was drowning in and waved it around as he continued, "greater than being a beat cop at a small precinct that clearly doesn't appreciate your talents. NCIS would be lucky to have you." He offered a polite nod then turned and made his exit, flanked by his bodyguards.

While Tony's boss was still trying to figure out how Tony had pulled off such an elaborate hoax, Tony began collecting the few personal items he had on his desk.

"As much as I'd love to hang out and continue keeping this chair warm while everyone pretends I'm not here, there are real criminals out there and clearly other agencies that are interested in my abilities," Tony said.

"If I were you I'd watch what I say, DiNozzo," his boss warned. He didn't like this new development one bit. Tony didn't deserve to be a cop, especially not for the Navy. DiNozzo, a gay man as a federal agent? No, that wasn't how things were supposed to be at all.

"Well you're not me and I'm not you," Tony boldly pointed out.

He continued chatting with his former coworkers while he cleaned out his desk under the watchful eye of his boss, doing his best to ignore the pain of betrayal he felt over all the people he'd once considered closer than family, the people he would've given his life for without a moment's hesitation.

It wasn't until he made it out of the building and could finally breathe again that he let go of the 'everything's fine' façade and began to mourn for everything he'd lost. Three departments in six years had really taken its toll and he wasn't sure how much more he could take.

Now what was he supposed to do?

Was the job offer from NCIS real? Or was Jethro just giving him an easy way out? Would he look weak if he showed up on the Navy Yard? Would it just lead to another awkward situation where he was informed that there wasn't really a job waiting for him? Where else could he go?

He could go home—if you could count the cold, empty shell of the apartment he lived in a home—and sit on the uncomfortable dining room chair or the old lumpy futon that doubled as his bed. He hadn't seen much of his home lately, probably because it felt nothing like a home. Nowhere had felt much like a home to him since his mother had died. Well, nowhere except for the cozy little cabin in Rileyville, Virginia. He wondered if he'd ever feel settled again; if he'd ever feel like he truly belonged somewhere. He wondered if he'd ever be able to outrun Senior. He wouldn't be able to reclaim his life until Senior was out of the picture.

Tony took a deep breath and shook off the lost little boy persona that always threatened to creep in when his father appeared and treated him like just that. He wouldn't let Senior or the Baltimore police department get him down.

As he sat in his car, contemplating where to go and what to do next, a single phrase repeated in his head: "Embrace you, Tony. Don't run from who you are." It was the words of encouragement Jethro had left him with before dropping him off at the train station. The man had given him a ride back to DC after his injury and then the two had gotten into a fight over how Tony would get back to Baltimore. Jethro had insisted on driving him the rest of the way while Tony had insisted on taking the train. They'd compromised by Jethro taking him to the train station and paying for his ticket.

A smile appeared on Tony's face as he remembered their banter but the smile slowly faded as he realized how much he missed Jethro. He'd never had as much fun as he'd had with Jethro over the handful of days he'd spent at the cabin in the mountains.

"There's no reason I can't go check on Jethro," Tony told himself, "thank him for making me look good in front of the guys. Can't be too hard to get on the Navy Yard, right?" He turned his car on, backed out of his parking spot and pointed it towards the interstate. "Only one way to find out."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: Special Treatment**

It was surprisingly easy to get into NCIS. Of course, that could've had something to do with the Goth chick who'd overheard his name when he'd given it to the security guard at the front door. Tony didn't know who she was but judging by her reaction she knew him and she'd gotten him in the door and one step closer to Jethro so he went with it.

Of course the uncharacteristically bubbly Goth turned dark and mysterious and maybe even a bit cold when they reached her lab. The way she was looking at him, sizing him up, stalking him, even, was making Tony squirm.

"Are you gonna say anything or just stand there and stare at me?" Tony finally asked when he couldn't take the awkwardness of the silence any longer.

"Are you Anthony as in Tony?" Abby asked.

Tony narrowed his eyes at the question, wondering what it meant coming from someone he didn't know. Why would this stranger be inquiring about his nickname? What did it mean? "Um, yeah. Why?"

"Just wondering."

Tony's mind caught up quickly and a confident expression settled in his eyes. "Just wondering if I'm the Tony that Jethro's been talking about?" he asked hopefully.

"I'll ask the questions here," Abby said firmly, making it perfectly clear to Tony that he was going to have to win her trust and she wasn't going to make it easy on him.

Tony also thought that despite the tough exterior, she might be a little excited about his presence but she was doing her best not to let on. He'd had plenty of girls play hard to get though and he was a damn good interrogator—at least he would be if he ever got the chance. He was confident he could break through Abby's rough, untrusting exterior and win her over. "Jethro _has_ been talking about me," he stated confidently.

"I never said that!" Abby gasped but the hint of a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth gave her away. "Why are you here?"

"To see Jethro," Tony answered cryptically.

"What are your intentions?"

Tony held his hands up in surrender and took a step backwards. "I swear, we're just gonna have dinner and then I'll bring him right home. There won't be any hanky panky or underage drinking or smoking or anything like that. And I promise to have him home by curfew!" He winked at the woman playfully and in return she smacked him lightly for making her laugh.

"You were all nice to me in the lobby. Was that just so you could get me down here alone and torture me? What's with the third degree?"

"Well, I _can_ kill you and leave no forensic evidence behind."

Tony stiffened at the statement as he stared at the unassuming woman. He wasn't quite sure what to make of her but he was pretty sure he liked her. Maybe they could even be friends in an alternate universe.

"Listen," Tony said, all the joking leaving his voice, "Jethro and I are just friends. He calms my inner chaos in a way no one's ever been able to do before."

"Gibbs tends to have that effect on people," Abby admitted. "Well, some people, at least. You should see him break someone in interrogation. That's equally impressive!"

Tony perked up in clear interest but before he could respond, Jethro was strolling into the lab.

"Abs, do you have my test results for—" He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw who was standing next to Abby. His heart sped up, his hands started sweating and he couldn't stop the hint of a smile that appeared as familiar feelings took over, despite his surprise at finding the man standing there. "Officer DiNozzo," he greeted cordially.

When Abby saw the way that the mere sight of Tony melted away Gibbs' gruffness and put a smile on his face, she couldn't help but love Tony too. Anyone who made Gibbs light up like that was good in her eyes.

"Got reports of an older model truck speeding around the city," Tony joked. "Thought I'd come check you out, see if I needed to issue you a ticket."

"I didn't drive the truck today," Jethro replied, not taking his eyes off Tony.

"Well maybe I'll check you out anyways," Tony said. He hadn't realized how much he'd missed Jethro until the man was standing in front of him.

"I see you met Abby."

"Kind of," Tony answered. "She was too busy grilling me to actually tell me her name."

"Somebody has to watch out for Gibbs," Abby interjected defensively, "'cause everybody who knows him knows he's not good at looking out for himself."

It wasn't until Abby spoke that Jethro remembered where they were and that they weren't alone. "You got those test results for me, Abs?" he asked again.

"Actually, I do," Abby answered, moving over to her computer.

While Abby gabbed on and on about her findings, Jethro's attention remained focused on Tony. He couldn't take his eyes off of the man. It was blatant and unguarded and it didn't go unnoticed. A smile spread across Tony's face as he locked eyes with Jethro and the two seemed to have a silent conversation while Abby rambled on. The only time Jethro broke eye contact was to glance at Tony's lips and the more he did it, the more excited Tony got. Tony's tongue peeked out, subconsciously running across his lower lip in an open invitation but the moment was once again interrupted by Abby.

"…and you didn't hear a word I said, did you?" the forensic scientist asked.

It took a moment for Jethro to realize Abby had finished speaking. "Sounds good. E-mail me those results, will ya?" He took Tony by the arm and guided him towards the elevator, leaving Abby standing in the middle of the room, shaking her head.

"You mean to the e-mail address you never check?" she called after the two men. She wasn't the least bit surprised when she got no response.

"You sent Morrow to Baltimore," Tony guessed while they waited for the elevator.

"You came," Jethro answered, as if that had been the plan all along.

"Of course I did."

The elevator dinged, announcing its arrival before the doors opened and the two men stepped inside. An awkward silence filled the space as a few hesitant movements and false starts finally led to Jethro grabbing Tony by the necktie and tugging him into a kiss.

It wasn't Tony's first kiss, not by a long shot, but it carried that same excitement, if not even more. It was more than a kiss; the warmth of the soft, moist lips pressing against his was a connection on the deepest level and the excitement reached his innermost being. The kiss only heightened Tony's growing addiction for the man even more though, because before he knew it the elevator dinged again and Tony was following Jethro into a very orange colored squad room where the rest of the man's team was waiting for him.

"You, sit," Jethro ordered, pointing at Tony and then at the chair behind his own desk.

Tony was taken aback slightly at this new, gruffer version of the man he thought he knew so well but a smile slowly spread across his face and he obeyed.

"What do we got?" Jethro asked in the same, no nonsense tone as he turned to face his team.

He listened as they took turns sharing their new findings but, once again, his attention kept drifting back to Tony who was watching everything that was going on curiously from behind Jethro's desk. Tony was enjoying the fact that he had Jethro preoccupied and off his game. The distracted, sideways glances didn't go unnoticed by his team either. Judging by the cautiously curious looks on their faces, it was a side of Jethro they rarely, if ever, saw.

"That's enough for today," Jethro said when his team had finished. "Be back here at zero seven tomorrow. Er, make that zero eight," he corrected after another glance at Tony.

Tony's smile grew, as did the confusion written all over everyone else's faces.

Once the team had dispersed, Tony waited patiently while Jethro gathered his things then followed him to his car and got in, without question of where they were going or what they were going to do.

The short car ride was quiet and filled with anxious anticipation as well as building excitement. Smiles graced the faces of both men and curious glances passed between the two before Jethro pulled into the small parking lot of his favorite diner.

Tony shook off his surprise at the unexpected location, got out of the car and followed Jethro into the small building. The smells we're inviting and the warmth radiating from the waitress who had immediately started tending to them revealed why Jethro frequented such a place. The fact that the waitress knew Jethro by name and Jethro called her by name revealed how often the man had been there.

"So, how ya doin'?" Jethro asked, watching as Tony doctored the coffee Elaine had just poured him. "Did you come by for another lesson in manhood?"

"My manhood is just fine," Tony protested playfully. "Maybe a little lonely but we'll be okay. We always are."

The two shared shy smiles and sipped at their steaming coffee.

"Thanks for rescuing me today," Tony said, "or sending someone very impressive to rescue me."

Jethro raised his eyebrows at the amended comment. "Would you rather be having dinner with Morrow?"

"I'm much more impressed with you," Tony clarified, "but Morrow certainly made an impression in Baltimore."

"Good."

Tony tapped a fingernail against his cup, watching as each tap produced a soft ping until Jethro's hand wrapped around his, stopping the movement and noise.

"I quit my job today," Tony confided.

The look on Jethro's face turned puzzled at the statement. "You normally have to quit one job before you start another," he replied.

Tony's eyebrows raised in interest as he looked across the table. "That scene with Morrow wasn't just for show?"

"I don't do anything just for show, Tony," Jethro commented offhandedly.

The smile on Tony's face reached all the way to his eyes. "You just don't seem like the kind of guy that would offer a guy you hardly know a job. At least a job like this."

It was Jethro's turn to smile. "You think I don't know anything about you?"

The look on the man's face told Tony he couldn't have been more wrong. In fact, Jethro probably knew more about him than he knew about himself. That probably should have made him squirm but instead Tony found it exhilarating.

Jethro recognized the look of thrill on the man's face and it had his attraction for the man growing even more.

The conversation continued while they waited for their food and as their interest grew, so did their desire. By the time their meal arrived, the tension was so thick that even Elaine could feel it radiating between them as she dropped their dinners off.

"Should I pack this up in to go boxes?" she teased.

Jethro wasn't sure how to respond but the look on his face said it all and had Elaine leaving their meals and hurrying off but not before giving them a teasing wink. A boisterous laugh sounded as she hurried off.

"I like her," Tony said, grinning from ear to ear. Elaine was fun and obviously brave if she was boldly teasing Jethro.

"Elaine's the best," Jethro agreed.

Talking turned to touching as the two ate. Fingers grazed and lingered as salt, pepper and ketchup were passed back and forth while knees and feet bumped under the table. Smiles turned to chuckles at the growing awkwardness but neither were willing to stand down.

When Jethro had decided to ask Tony to be a member of his team, he'd known that meant their relationship couldn't venture into anything outside of the professional realm. That determination had faded the instant he'd laid eyes on the man in Abby's lab and the urge had become overwhelming when they were alone in the elevator. Now things were escalating at an alarming rate and Jethro was finding himself getting in deeper and deeper and not only was he helpless to stop it, he didn't want to.

"How's your arm?" Tony asked as they ate. "I'm surprised to see you're still wearing the brace."

"He's only wearing the brace because he reaggravated it by not wearing the brace," Elaine informed Tony as she refilled their drinks.

"Enough out of you," Jethro grumbled.

"I know you're too stubborn to tell him yourself so I thought I'd help you out," Elaine replied warmly.

"Keep it up and I'm gonna use your tip to buy Tony ice cream," Jethro threatened teasingly.

"Don't worry, Elaine," Tony interrupted, "I'll make sure you're generously tipped."

Jethro shot a mutinous glare across the table.

"I'm a beat cop," Tony protested innocently. "My life's all about building relationships and cultivating sources and a generous tip is an excellent way to do that. Waitresses are a fountain of knowledge, Jethro."

"No ice cream for you."

Tony simply smiled at the man sitting across the table from him while Elaine headed off to her next table.

"My boss teamed up with my doc and they threatened to put me on medical leave if I didn't wear the brace," Jethro explained once they were alone again.

"Your boss knows your doctor?"

"He works at NCIS too. He's our medical examiner."

Tony's eyes widened in shock. "Your doctor is really a medical examiner?"

Jethro shrugged as he took another drink of his coffee. "He's an old friend. I trust him."

"I don't know if that's crazy or scary," Tony said around a laugh.

"Probably both," Jethro admitted. He reached out and rubbed his finger across the back of Tony's hand, unable to resist the urge to touch.

The gesture caused Tony's smile to grow and his heart to beat faster. It was becoming more and more evident that it was a matter of when, not if, things between them would escalate.

"It's better to work for people who actually give a shit about your wellbeing than people who don't care if you live or die," Tony pointed out.

Jethro's eyes darkened for a brief moment at the reality of the statement but Tony was quickly changing the topic and after a short hesitation Jethro decided to let him.

"This is really good," Tony said, taking another bite of his dinner.

"Mm-hmm," Jethro hummed hesitantly.

Tony reached across the table and rested his hand on top of Jethro's, imploring the man with a desperate look. "The past is the past, Jethro. Don't let it sour what we've got going on here."

Jethro's expression softened and he nodded in agreement. His fingers wrapped lightly around Tony's wrist, grazing against the man's steadily pounding pulse as he stared across the table at him. "You know, I told myself we'd just have dinner, catch up, and then I'd drop you back at your car but I don't wanna do that anymore. I don't think I could handle watching you disappear into the night again."

"What can you handle?" Tony asked in an open invitation.

"Elaine," Jethro called, his eyes still locked on Tony's, "I think we will take those to go boxes after all."

Five minutes later they were back in the car, heading towards Alexandria.

The hand on Tony's thigh as Jethro drove down the road wasn't entirely unexpected but it still got filed away in the 'nice surprise' category. It remained still for the most part, simply resting as its warmth spread up Tony's leg to other, more excitable body parts leaving Tony wishing that Jethro's hand would follow the warming sensations as they spread.

"You got quiet on me," Jethro pointed out as he flipped his turn signal on and cut across two lanes of traffic.

"Just enjoying the moment," Tony explained casually.

Jethro's eyebrows did the talking as he turned into the parking lot of a drug store, ordered Tony to stay put—he couldn't go shopping with the crotch of his pants looking like it was going to bust at the seams—and then disappeared into the store. Minutes later he returned, dropped a paper bag into Tony's lap, put the car in gear and they were on their way once again.

Tony unfolded the top of the bag in his lap and peeked inside.

"Is that okay?" Jethro asked.

"Oh yeah," Tony answered, "unexpected but very okay."

He smiled to himself as he refolded the top of the bag with the large tube of lube and box of condoms. It wasn't why he'd come to Jethro at all. In fact it was something he thought he'd never get from the man. It was also one of the best surprises he'd ever gotten and it was causing the front of his pants to begin to fill again.

"Unexpected?" Jethro questioned.

Tony shrugged. "You just don't seem like the kind of guy to take work home with you."

"You're not work yet," Jethro replied. "I figure there's time to figure things out if that's okay with you."

Tony answered by sliding his hand over Jethro's thigh and giving it a squeeze.

By the time Jethro pulled into his driveway, his pants were unbuttoned and unzipped and Tony's hand was squeezing and tugging at his boxer briefs. Tony's shirt disappeared as soon as they walked in the front door and the two took turns slamming each other up against the wall with demanding kisses and exploring fingers as they slowly made their way upstairs.

Tony went to work on the buttons on Jethro's shirt while Jethro kept Tony pinned between his body and the cool wall behind him using only his tongue, teeth and mouth on the man's neck and chest.

"Oh fuck," Tony growled, wrapping one leg around Jethro's body and drawing him closer. When he couldn't take it anymore, he broke free, turned the man around and got a taste of Jethro, running his tongue from the man's belt buckle all the way up his torso and over the visibly pounding pulse point in his neck before capturing his lips in another kiss as he pushed Jethro's shirt over his shoulders and let it fall to the floor.

Jethro tucked his hands behind Tony's knees and lifted the man up so he could carry him the rest of the way into the bedroom where he let him slide down his body to the floor. Tony released Jethro's neck and shoulders long enough to finish removing what remained of his clothes while Jethro did the same then the two stood in a somewhat awkward silence, simply staring at each other. Tony's dick twitched at the sight of Jethro's, knowing it would soon be inside him while Jethro simply licked his lips as his eyes raked over the body of the young man standing completely exposed before him.

Jethro grabbed the items he'd purchased from the drug store out of his pants pocket then reached out and took Tony's hand, leading him over to the bed where he laid him down the climbed on top of him. He let the urgency fade slightly as the kisses continued, knowing he needed to slow them both down. Once he had his body under control again, he let his lips travel down Tony's chest and belly as his fingers found the tight ring of muscle hiding just behind the man's ball sack. He squeezed a little lube on his fingers and began patiently spreading it around before pausing long enough to add more and starting all over again. He waited until Tony's body relaxed then carefully eased a finger inside of him, watching his lover closely to make sure he was doing okay.

Jethro took his time stretching Tony, paying attention to every subtle shudder and almost imperceptible whimper, learning everything he could about the man as the whimpers turned to gasps and curses and the shudders turned to uncontrolled twitches and desperate fingers digging into flesh, silently begging Jethro to keep going when Tony's words failed him.

"Jethro, please," Tony begged when he couldn't take it anymore.

Jethro let his fingers slip from Tony's body and sat up between the man's spread legs. His eyes found Tony's and locked on while he tore a condom wrapper open with his teeth and rolled it over himself. He added more lube to himself and began thrusting between Tony's butt cheeks, letting his erection fill out the rest of the way.

"Jethro, please," Tony begged again.

Jethro sat tall between Tony's leg, wrapped his fist around his cock and lined himself up, smiling when Tony immediately started pushing back against him as if he were trying to force Jethro into him. Jethro pushed the tip of his cock into Tony and paused for a moment as they were both flooded with a whole new barrage of sensations. He pulled out and just barely pushed into him again, basking in the repeated tingles.

"Holy fuck, Jethro," Tony mumbled.

Jethro looked up just in time to see the man's eyes roll back into his head as his body opened up even more. Jethro pulled out one more time and then pushed in further, carefully easing his cock farther and farther into Tony's tight, twitching hole.

Once he was flush against Tony's body, Jethro rolled his hips pushing hard against his lover as he leaned over and the kissing started all over again. Tony kissed back hungrily and the two took turns tasting and exploring each other's mouth. As the kissing continued, Jethro began rocking his hips, slowly lengthening his movements until he was pulling every inch of himself almost all the way out and then pushing it right back in again.

He sat up above Tony, tucked his elbows behind the man's knees and carefully eased Tony into a position that would open him up even more and allow Jethro direct access to that special spot hidden inside him.

"Oh, shit, Jethro," Tony cried. "Fuck that feels so good."

Tony reached for his own cock and began stroking himself as Jethro fucked him from what felt like the inside out. Tony wasn't sure of all the mechanics but if he didn't know any better, he would've sworn Jethro's cock was _inside_ his cock. He'd never felt anything quite like it.

Jethro pulled out momentarily and began rubbing himself against Tony's hole, once again trying to find some semblance of control but in no time at all Tony was begging him to continue.

"Put it back in, Jethro, please. I wanna feel you."

Jethro decided attempting to hold off was futile and obliged to Tony's request, immediately finding his rhythm again. More curses came out of Tony's mouth as the man pumped his cock roughly and soon a string of expletives was coming out of Jethro's mouth as well as he gave up the battle for control and his desires took over.

Tony followed right behind almost without warning. Jethro forced his eyes open, desperate to watch the tightness of Tony's expression melt away into one of pure bliss. The world around Tony faded to gray and then black as his orgasm grew in intensity before it finally overwhelmed him and he blacked out. The next thing he felt was warm, wet lips moving all over his face, kissing him awake.

"You with me?" Jethro asked.

"Mmm," Tony hummed. "Keep kissing me."

Jethro obliged, running his fingers lightly over Tony's temple and cheekbone as he did.

The smile on Tony's face grew as he stared up at his lover. The evening had taken an unexpected turn in the best way possible and he could only hope they shared many more evenings like that.

"There can't be any special treatment if this is gonna work," Jethro said.

"Well that sure felt special," Tony replied unapologetically.

Jethro reached around and slapped the back of Tony's head. "At work."

A grin spread across Tony's face as he touched the back of his head. "Just keep slapping the back of my head like that," he said. "That's all the special treatment I need."

 **End of Part I**

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Part II will be posted as soon as it's ready!


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** Sorry this took so long, guys. I've been sick off and on for the last few weeks. I went to the doctor today and got some antibiotics though so hopefully I'm on the mend. If not I might just die. Either way, I wanna get this story posted first! :P

Updates will be regular. The story's all written out. I just have to edit as I go.

* * *

 **Part II**

 **Chapter Five: Fate**

 _ **Approx. 6 Months Later**_

Fate was a fickle thing and apparently it really did determine people's courses in life. At least that was what Tony was beginning to believe. He'd returned from FLETC less than a week prior and as if his nerves from being reunited with Jethro and starting a new job weren't enough, there sat Senior, waiting for a word with not only Jethro but also with Tom Morrow. Tony wanted nothing more than to slap the sneer off the old man's face but all he could do was glare back helplessly.

His stomach dropped when Jethro retuned and summoned the elder DiNozzo to the conference room where Director Morrow would be meeting them. The reassuring smile and wink from his lover did nothing to settle him. What on earth was he doing accepting a job at NCIS? If he didn't fit in in a civilian, city department, he sure as hell didn't fit in in a federal agency, especially one that worked for the military. He was the farthest thing from a military man as one could get. A cocky, bisexual guy who didn't take orders and resisted authority? He wouldn't last two minutes in the military.

"Back to work, DiNozzo," Jethro ordered lightly before disappearing.

"Yes, Boss," Tony mumbled more to himself than to Jethro but Jethro still heard it as he led the way down a hallway that would take them to the conference room they would have their meeting in.

Morrow was pouring himself a cup of subpar coffee when the two men entered. Instead of sitting down at the table and making himself comfortable, he leaned against one of the cabinets in the room, silently telling the senior DiNozzo he wouldn't be spending long at the meeting. He hadn't even wanted to waste his time on the meeting in the first place but Senior had somehow managed to gain some influence with the Secretary of the Navy and SecNav hadn't left him much choice.

"What can we do for you, Mr. DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked. He knew the man was there to cause trouble but he too had been forced into humoring him and had reluctantly agreed in hopes that the man would leave Tony alone if he felt heard.

"You both look like upstanding gentlemen," Senior said, pouring on the charm. "Navy men?"

Both men ignored the question but Senior didn't seem to mind.

"I've come to save you and your agency some embarrassment," Senior continued. "My son causes problems wherever he goes. He creates drama and trouble for himself and those around him. Anthony has never been good at taking orders and I know how you military men value the chain of command so I'm sure you both understand my position."

"Your position?" Morrow interrupted. "Why are you here, Mr. DiNozzo?"

"I feel obligated to warn you about what you're getting into before it's too late."

"Warn us?" Gibbs asked, his patience faltering.

"My wife, Anthony's mother died when he was eight," Senior explained. "I did the best I could with him after that and when it became clear that I wasn't getting through to him, I sent him off to boarding school in hopes of giving him a chance at life but he got kicked out of boarding school after boarding school; five of them in less than that many years. He wasted his college years and he's been bouncing from job to job ever since."

"Sounds like all he needs is for someone to give him a break," Morrow commented.

"Well, there's more," Senior continued. He hesitated, as if he really didn't want to reveal the next part but the sparkle in his eyes gave him away. "My son is gay, gentlemen."

"And?" Gibbs asked indicating he was waiting for the issue Senior seemed to be referring to.

"He has no place in any law enforcement agency," Senior explained, "especially one that's connected to the military."

"We've been interviewing and hiring personnel for many years now, Mr. DiNozzo," Morrow informed the man. "It's not a process we take lightly and not one that allows for any special treatment. Special Agent DiNozzo earned his position here and more than that, he earned a spot on our top team. He wouldn't be here if he hadn't. Now, I don't know what kind of vindictive game you're playing with your son's life, but I don't have time for it. We deal with serious crimes here, not scheming conmen. The agent outside the door will show you out and I suggest you don't come back."

Before Senior could protest, Morrow was having him shown out so they could all get back to work, ignoring the man's protests as he was escorted out.

* * *

The movie was torture. There was no other way to put it. Jethro didn't have a clue who was who, what was going on or even what the point of it was but Tony wanted to watch it so he was watching it. Or at least trying to. He shot a sideways glance at the man, hoping Tony wouldn't notice, and took a moment to appreciate his lover's profile, the scruff on his face after a long day and the man's relaxed posture.

A smile of appreciation spread across Jethro's face. He loved that Tony felt safe and comfortable enough to relax and let his guard down, to reveal his true self and not the façade he seemed to put on for everyone else. As soon as they walked through the front door, Jethro got the real Tony and he understood enough to know what a rare gift that was.

His eyes raked down Tony's body, his bare torso, covered in a dark, neat fur and the black gym shorts he'd changed into approximately two seconds after they'd arrived home and immediately realized not all of Tony was relaxed. The man's attention may have appeared to be fully devoted to the movie playing on the TV—whatever it was called—but at least one other part of his brain was awake and focused on something else.

Jethro's tongue peeked out and wet his lips as he studied the clearly visible outline of his lover's half hard cock. He could clearly see the ridge and make out the cockhead and he wanted nothing more than to touch, to taste, to smell, to _devour_. Tony's body was so much more interesting than any movie playing on TV. He casually reached over and rested his hand in the man's lap, breaking Tony's focus on the movie. Tony smiled at him and rested his hand casually on Jethro's arm before turning his attention back to the TV.

"Not interested in the movie?" Tony asked as his lover's hand inched closer to his cock. He wasn't really interested in the movie either. He'd been hoping it would distract him from Senior's visit earlier that day but it wasn't helping much. Maybe the hand moving closer and closer to his dick would.

"I'm just more interested in you," Jethro answered. It wasn't a complete lie. He was and always would be more interested in Tony, no matter what was playing on TV. "Don't let me distract you, though." He turned Tony's head back towards the TV and smiled.

Tony slouched down slightly, making himself comfortable and spread his legs as Jethro began rubbing him through the comfortable shorts covering his growing length. His partial attention went back to the movie until Jethro's teeth and tongue found his nipple. His lover wanted to play and he'd never been one to deny Jethro what he wanted, just like Jethro had never denied him. He hummed his approval and ran his fingers through the short hair on the back of Jethro's head in encouragement.

"Your tongue feels so good," Tony purred. It was soft and delicate and was making more than just his nipple hard— _very_ hard.

After getting a taste of both nipples, Jethro worked his way down Tony's abdomen with his tongue and lips, pausing at his belly button while he tugged the waistband of the man's shorts back, letting his cock flop free against his belly. Tony lifted his hips just enough to push the shorts down and out of the way, his movie long forgotten.

"Holy shit," Tony growled happily when Jethro's tongue swirled around the ridge of his cock head and up to the incredibly sensitive tip.

Jethro pulled off with a quiet but satisfying pop, moved up Tony's body and began kissing the man while he started stroking Tony's cock. The kissing continued as he collected the precum that was pooling up and began rubbing over it over Tony's ass hole. Tony drew his knees up and let his legs fall open, giving Jethro complete access.

"Are you gonna fuck me?" Tony asked, curious about why his lover was still clothed.

"Not yet," Jethro answered before nipping at Tony's chest on his way back down the man's body.

Tony's dick twitched in excitement as Jethro's mouth inched closer while the man increased the pressure he was putting on his hole. Jethro wrapped his lips around the top half of Tony's cock and sucked lightly as he eased a finger inside of him.

Tony melted into the couch and his eyes fell closed at the dual assault on his body. The sex with strangers he'd had in the past was more of an act of desperation. There was very little foreplay involved. Tony was quickly deciding he'd been missing out and that having his ass played with while Jethro sucked his cock was one of his new favorite experiences.

"Fuck!" he cried out when the man's finger found his prostate and paused there to play.

Jethro sucked harder at the additional precum leaking from Tony and continued his musings. He hummed happily as he swallowed down everything his lover offered.

A garbled mess of words came out of Tony's mouth, none of which Jethro understood with the exception of his name at the end. He pulled off of Tony and began tonguing the tip of his cock as his finger continued moving in and out of his hole, rubbing against his sweet spot with each pass.

"Jethro," Tony moaned, his desperation growing.

Jethro knew Tony was getting closer but instead of letting up, he wrapped his lips around Tony's cock and slid all the way down his shaft. Tony's breathing faltered when his cockhead made contact with the back of Jethro's throat and he knew there was no stopping what was coming next.

Jethro sucked hard and put just the right amount of pressure on his prostate until the fingers weaved through his hair tightened their grip and Tony lost what little bit of control he had left. While Tony collapsed bonelessly against the couch, Jethro sucked him dry before finally releasing him.

"Sorry I distracted you from your movie," Jethro teased with a cocky smile.

"I wasn't really watching it," Tony admitted, his eyelids hooded in blissful satisfaction.

"You weren't?" Jethro asked, the smile fading slightly from his face.

Tony shrugged and the mood in the room instantly turned heavy.

"What's wrong?" Jethro asked, sitting back and looking at Tony.

Tony tugged his shorts into place and sat tall on the couch. "I don't know," he whispered. "Just thinking about Senior showing up earlier. Why am I here, Jethro? Why did you offer me this job?"

"What?" Jethro drew back even more and the look on his face soured slightly.

"I'm not even a good cop. Are you just keeping me around because I'm a good fuck?"

"Is that what you think?" Jethro was hurt and borderline angry and his tone hid neither.

"I don't know what I think. I don't know what I'm doing. I don't know where I belong."

Jethro looked at him hard as he tried to make sense of the dramatic turn of events. "That's because you've never felt like you belong anywhere before. Now that you do, now that something finally _feels_ right," he tapped Tony's chest directly over his heart, "you don't know what to do with it."

"Damn it, stop saying all the right things!" Tony demanded.

"You're safe here, Tony. You don't have to run anymore."

Tony stood and raised his arms in frustration but he couldn't manage to get anymore words out. How could Jethro be so confident when he himself was beyond confused? Did he really belong there or had he only stuck around to play house with Jethro? What was he doing? He needed time to think. He needed to sort things out without any distractions.

"I-I have to go," he stuttered. "I'm sorry. I need to think. I need to figure out what I'm doing, why I'm here. I need—I-I don't know. I need time. I'm sorry, Jethro. I'm sorry."

"Where are you going at this time of night?" Jethro asked.

"I don't know," Tony answered, already putting his shoes on. "Maybe the Holiday Inn up the street. I'm really sorry, Jethro." He grabbed the hoodie lying haphazardly over the back of the armchair and tugged it on, not even noticing it was his lover's, grabbed his car key and wallet and hurried out of the house, leaving Jethro baffled, and silently hating the fact that Senior had won again.

* * *

Tony paced back and forth in front of the two double beds in his hotel room, tugging at his hair and huffing out his feelings of despair. Coming to a hotel room alone had been a mistake. The TV hadn't distracted him at Jethro's house and it certainly wasn't going to distract him in the hotel room. Now, not only was he upset about his father's visit, he was also dealing with the guilt of all but running out of Jethro's house with absolutely no explanation at all. He was in a downward spiral and felt powerless to stop or change it. Was it possible to have a midlife crisis in his late twenties?

A knock at the door startled him. He froze in place and stared at the closed door, contemplating ignoring it but he quickly put the thought out of his head, walked over to the door and opened it.

"We've got a case," Jethro said, all business as he entered the room and dropped a pair of Tony's jeans and one of his t-shirts onto one of the beds. "Get dressed."

"A case?" Tony asked. He wasn't expecting that. He hadn't officially worked a case for NCIS. There hadn't been any since he'd returned from FLETC earlier that week. Of course one would drop right when he was in the middle of a meltdown. He was kind of surprised Jethro had come for him after what had happened at the house earlier but there he was, standing in his hotel room, staring expectantly and Tony couldn't help but feel like he owed the man something. For what, he wasn't sure. For sucking his dick earlier? For not giving up on him? Something…

"Dead Marine on the front lawn of a house in Bethesda," Jethro reported. "Come on."

"Lemme suck your dick real quick," Tony begged.

"Huh?"

"I'm all satisfied and I totally left you hanging," Tony explained. That would take away some of the guilt at least.

"We gotta go, Tony," Jethro replied. "Come on, get dressed."

"What about road head?"

"Focus on the case, Tony," Jethro replied calmly. "Besides, you know I don't like to be rushed." He winked at his lover, letting the man know everything was okay. Tony was hurting, wounded and untrusting but Jethro refused to give up on him. They'd have to deal with their personal matters after the case though. They had a job to do.

"Okay," Tony finally agreed, slipping his shorts off and his jeans on.

"You're gonna have to stop going commando at work," Jethro joked, confirming to Tony that everything would indeed be okay.

Tony looked over at Jethro after tugging the man's hoodie off and smiled. "Why's that?"

"It's distracting."

"Distracting or easy access?" he asked, tugging his t-shirt on before pulling the hoodie on again.

"I'll let you know later," Jethro answered cryptically.

"Hey, did you ever notice on all those crime shows on TV, the investigators get the call out in the middle of the night but they never show up till daylight?" Tony asked slipping his feet into his shoes. "How come we can't enjoy such privileges?"

"Must be TV magic," Jethro replied noticing that Tony was already slipping into the character he showed everyone else.

"Except for the original CSI," Tony added. "That whole show is just dark. I don't know if that makes it more mysterious or just makes it hard to follow. CSI: Miami, on the other hand, with the Caruso and the sunglasses, the beach and all those tropical colors and skimpy bathing suits—"

"We're not in Miami, Tony," Jethro interrupted, "and we're not TV detectives who can wait till we've had our eight hours before rolling up to a crime scene. Button your pants. We gotta go."

"We could always go to Alaska instead," Tony continued. "Land of the midnight sun? It's always light there." He buttoned his pants before following Jethro out of the hotel room. "At least until it's not and then it's just dark."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six: Paralyzing Fear**

The doubt that had started creeping in when Senior appeared at NCIS settled in to stay as soon as Tony set foot in the crime scene. The gung-ho attitude and confident demeanor he'd worked up in the car on the way over faded as he stared at the dead body on the front lawn of a very expensive looking house and listened to the deceased's relatives sobbing uncontrollably nearby, begging for answers. It was his responsibility to get those answers but the only information he had at that point was that the infinity symbol with Semper Fidelis and the Marine Corps logo interwoven in opposite corners of the never ending figure eight on the girl's shoulder suggested their victim was a Marine. He didn't even know the girl's name. How was he supposed to get answers when he didn't even know the victim's name?

All the other times he'd been at a crime scene all he'd had to do was secure the perimeter or complete other menial tasks. Tony couldn't help but feel overwhelmed at the daunting task in front of him. What the hell had he gotten himself into? Why did he ever think he could investigate crimes for a living? Maybe his father had been right after all.

"Talk to me."

Jethro's voice broke through the inconsolable sobs of the relatives, the radio traffic coming from the two ways all the officers on scene were wearing and the flashing strobe lights lighting up the night sky. Tony focused on that and let the man ground him, something Jethro had proven to be very good at.

"She's likely a Marine," Tony replied dumbly. He was desperate to impress but lost and overwhelmed at the same time.

"Anything else?" Jethro asked. There was no judgment in his tone. He could see how lost Tony was and knew the man well enough to know he was being unfairly hard on himself. Confusion was part of the chaos that came with everything else that was going on and he was confident he could channel Tony's anxiety into something a bit more productive.

Tony looked around, desperately grasping for anything to latch onto and impress Jethro with but he saw nothing. Everything he wanted out of life, everything he'd hoped for in his future was slipping through his fingers and all he could do was stand there with a lost, pathetic look on his face. And not only that, Jethro had stuck his neck way out for him; he'd gone to great lengths to help him achieve the position he was currently in and now the man was going to find out what all the others had… he was a disappointment, a fraud, worthless as a cop. He turned back to Jethro, his always present smile slipping into a disappointed frown. "Will you just be my sugar daddy?" he asked quietly.

"Huh?" Jethro usually understood Tony's humor but that comment went right over his head.

"I'm not cut out for this, Jethro," Tony whispered, hoping no one would overhear him. "I don't fit in here. I don't know what I'm doing. I don't know what I was thinking."

Jethro reached around and slapped the back of Tony's head, causing the man to quiet down instantly and stand tall in front of him. "Nobody has all the answers the second they step into a crime scene. Now focus."

The man was stern in the best way possible, with his finger wagging in Tony's face as if to prove the point and Tony responded instantly.

"Rule number two," Jethro continued, pulling a pair of gloves out of his pocket, shaking them out and handing them to Tony, "always wear gloves at a crime scene."

"What's rule number one?" Tony asked curiously.

"Focus, Tony," Jethro reminded the man.

"Right."

"Rule thirty five, always watch the watchers."

"The watchers?" Tony questioned.

Jethro turned and glanced at the growing crowd of curious onlookers.

"Oh, sneaky," Tony said with a slight chuckle, "'cause perpetrators like to come back to the scene of their crime, see what's going on, relive the moment."

"With me," Jethro said, crooking a finger as he headed towards the body.

Under Jethro's watchful eye, Tony got a taste of collecting evidence and examining the body a little more closely, learning a couple more rules in the process. Both agents listened as Ducky added a few more details about their victim and her suspected cause of death before they headed towards the crowd to speak with the few witnesses the patrol cops thought might have valuable information.

As Tony observed, he couldn't help but be impressed by Jethro's ability to turn insignificant things into important details and his knack for coaxing important information out of people. He paid close attention, following the man's lead and quickly slipping into his new role, letting his confidence grow as book smarts turned to street smarts.

"Ya did good, DiNozzo," Jethro praised as they began to wrap things up at the crime scene. They'd spent the last couple hours gathering all kinds of valuable evidence and now it was time to head to the Navy Yard to attempt to make sense of it.

"Thanks, Boss," Tony beamed. He almost couldn't believe that a couple short hours ago he'd been ready to throw in the towel. He put the last of the evidence they'd collected into the trunk of the sedan then stepped back so Jethro could close it.

"Alright, get this back to Abby so she can get started processing it," Jethro instructed, dangling the car keys in front of Tony, "then I want you running background on our vic. Got it?"

"Yes, Boss," Tony answered, opening his hand beneath Jethro's and catching the car keys when the man dropped them. "How will you get back?"

"I'll ride back with Ducky. See you in an hour."

Tony was practically glowing as he headed towards DC on the mostly abandoned roadways in the middle of the night. His confidence had grown throughout the night as he worked side by side with Jethro, investigating what could only be described as a brutal murder. Their personal relationship had turned to a professional relationship with no effort at all, turning Jethro into a mentor that guided him with ease and respect, allowing him to learn and grow.

The book smarts and fake scenarios Tony had experienced at FLETC were translating fairly easily into the real life case he was now faced with. He was catching on quick. The overwhelmingly lost feeling that had nearly paralyzed him when he'd arrived at the crime scene had been replaced by a to-do list that was a mile long and Tony's new task was prioritizing the list.

He was busy making a mental note of what he needed to accomplish when he heard the scream of sirens behind him.

"Shit," he muttered, glancing at his speedometer. He didn't think he was speeding but the roads were so empty and he was so focused on everything he needed to get done that his speed might've gotten away from him. Confident that the misunderstanding would be cleared up quickly, Tony pulled onto the shoulder of the road and stopped the car before reaching for his creds.

 _"Get out of the car!"_

Tony froze at the odd command. Why was he being ordered out of the car? And that wasn't even how officers ordered someone out of car. They told you exactly how to roll the window down, where to toss your keys, how to reach through the open window to open the door and which way to face when you got out. It was all about controlling the perp and the situation to keep everyone safe.

The order came again but this time it was accompanied by his door being flung open and two sets of hands ripping him out of the car.

"What the hell?" Tony demanded as he was forcefully shoved up against the side of the car while handcuffs were tightened around his wrists.

"Shut up, DiNozzo," the voice behind him commanded as he was stripped of his weapon and his pockets were emptied.

The fact that the person behind him knew his name completely changed Tony's perspective about the situation. This wasn't a civilian impersonating a police officer. This was personal. He tried to put a face with the familiar voice but it wasn't until he was turned around to face the two men and shoved against the car again that Tony began to realize just how much trouble he was in.

"What the hell is this, Danny?" Tony demanded, staring angrily at his former partner. He ignored Calhoun, Danny's new partner, completely.

"I said shut up," was Danny's only response.

Calhoun slipped in behind the wheel of the NCIS sedan Tony had been driving while Danny manhandled Tony into the back of the unmarked Baltimore PD car he and his partner had driven up in.

"I know you don't give a shit about me, Danny, but there's evidence from a murder in that car."

"I said shut up!" Danny demanded again, growing even angrier.

"Tampering with evidence is a crime. What the hell happened to you, Danny?"

"What the hell happened to _you_ , Tony?" Danny countered angrily.

"Nothing. I'm still the same Tony you were partnered with for the last two years."

"I said shut up!" Danny yelled again. "That Tony was a lie! You lied to me, you lied to everyone!"

"What are you talking about? Is this because of what my dad said?"

"I said shut up!" The veins in Danny's neck were bulging and his face reddened as his anger peaked. Tony wondered if the man might actually explode from the pent up anger.

Tony wasn't sure if he felt more angry or hurt as he rode along in the back of the unmarked car, following the sedan full of the evidence that he was responsible for getting back to the Navy Yard. The chain of custody had probably already been interrupted. Calhoun may have been a cop but whatever he and Danny were up to, Tony doubted it was sanctioned. Any defense attorney who had a degree from an accredited law school would have a field day with that.

Any hope of possibly salvaging the evidence was lost when they reached the Potomac River. Tony watched in horror as Calhoun pulled it up to the riverbank, got out and pushed the sedan into the water before getting into the unmarked police car.

"Alright, let's go," Calhoun said buckling his seatbelt as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

Tony shifted slightly in the backseat, trying to get comfortable but the handcuffs, already too tight, only dug into his wrists more and his back was beginning to ache as he attempted to brace himself for each turn while having his hands between his body and the seat. He still didn't know what was going on but whatever it was, it wasn't good. As the minutes passed, the reality of his situation was becoming more and more clear. He'd be lucky if he survived the night.

* * *

Jethro carefully backed the M.E. van into the parking garage that led directly to the autopsy suite, ignoring the incessant beeping as he did so. Ducky wrapped up his story just in time to thank his longtime friend before they both exited the van. Jethro grunted in reply, not even registering the end of the umpteenth story he'd heard during the drive in favor of a show of appreciation. His mind had drifted to his evening with Tony. The man was acting strange but he seemed to be back to his normal self, at least Jethro hoped so.

Maybe Tony needed some space. Maybe he needed his own place after all. They hadn't really talked about living arrangements. There was no point in Tony getting an apartment before he went to FLETC. Jethro had extended the invitation to his place and Tony had accepted and that had been that. At least until earlier that evening. He'd have to figure all that out later, though. It was time to refocus on the case.

He watched for a moment as Ducky maneuvered the body effortlessly, preparing to remove it from the van. "Need help, Duck?"

"I do believe I've got it, Jethro, but thank you," Ducky replied cheerfully.

"You need an assistant, Duck," Jethro informed the man as he grabbed the box with the remaining evidence in it out of the back of the van. "Call when you've got something."

"I always do, Jethro."

Jethro was greeted by a wall of noise as soon as the elevator doors opened one floor up. Without even flinching, he walked straight back to Abby's office, silenced the noise that she seemed to think was music then returned to the lab where she was looking mildly offended.

"Here's the rest of the evidence," he said, producing the clipboard with the evidence transfer paperwork for his scientist to sign. "Have you made any progress on the stuff Tony dropped off?"

The playful look of annoyance turned to one of confusion. "What stuff?" Abby asked as she signed the paperwork. "I haven't seen Tony all night."

"I sent him back here about an hour ago," Jethro countered, glancing at his watch. What did she mean Tony hadn't been by all night? That wasn't possible.

"Maybe he got lost," Abby suggested with a shrug.

Jethro pulled out his cellphone and hit the speed dial that would connect him to Tony. Seconds later he was listening to Tony's voicemail message informing him 'he knew what to do' and to 'wait for the beep'. "Straight to voicemail," he announced.

"Clearly he hasn't learned rule number three yet," Abby said.

Jethro grunted something incomprehensible under his breath as he made his exit, leaving Abby with the same instructions he'd left Ducky with.

* * *

Tony glanced at the clock on the dashboard as the car pulled to a stop in Baltimore PD's prisoner intake garage. Midnight. He wondered if Jethro noticed he was missing yet. Would the man come for him when he realized he'd been arrested or would he think the worst and write him off? Would Jethro even care after he'd run out of the man's house earlier that evening with no explanation at all?

"Get out."

The voice was sharp and demanding and had Tony's anger growing even more. If he hadn't been in handcuffs, his hands would've been around Danny's neck, consequences be damned.

He eased himself out of the backseat without very much grace and was led into the building and through a series of familiar hallways. When he tried to turn towards intake, he was jerked backwards and pointed in the opposite direction then pushed to get him walking again.

Straight towards the holding cells. They'd bypassed booking completely. He hadn't been fingerprinted, photographed or processed. Hell, he hadn't even been read his rights or charged with a crime, not that he'd committed a crime. His anxiety started growing as the reality of his situation began to sink in even more. Even if Jethro did attempt to look for him, he wouldn't show up in the system. He was simply gone.

The eerily empty hallways gave way to the holding cells, also empty. Tony couldn't remember the last time there hadn't been at least one lowlife prisoner keeping the guard company. He knew instantly that something wasn't right. Only half the lights in the area were on, leaving the room dim and making it feel even more eerie.

After entering the cell, Tony turned his back to his former partner and offered the man his hands, expecting the handcuffs to be removed but instead of removing the handcuffs, Danny slammed the butt of his service weapon into the back of Tony's head, dropping him to the floor instantly.

"What the hell, Danny?!" Tony demanded angrily. He jerked over onto his back, not wanting to leave himself unprotected but quickly realized that was a mistake. He pulled against the cuffs, desperately trying to free himself but only sending shooting pains out from his shoulder as the unforgiving metal of the cuffs cut into his wrists.

"Get up," Danny spat.

Tony flopped around on the floor helplessly, trying to get his feet under him so he could propel his body upwards with his hands still behind his back but he couldn't manage it until Danny grabbed him behind the elbow and jerked him up with a sharp, forceful movement. Tony winced at the pain but remained silent until a fist landed in his eye.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Tony demanded.

In response, the same fist cut across Tony's mouth, slicing the inside of his lip on his teeth and almost immediately filling his mouth with blood. Tony's only consolation was the cut to Danny's knuckles from grazing his teeth. He only hoped all the bacteria in his mouth would cause some sort of horrible infection that would result in his attacker losing a finger or two or maybe even an entire hand.

With no way to prepare for his former partner's next advance, Tony attempted to move away from his tormentor but Danny grabbed onto his hoodie and forced him backwards until the unforgiving brick wall behind them put an abrupt stop to their movement and caused a grunt to escape from Tony's mouth which took the air from his lungs along with it. He didn't have time to catch his breath before a fist landed in his gut, making it even more difficult to breathe.

Tony's anxiety grew to a level he'd never before experienced as Danny's unrelenting assault continued. There was no doubt in his mind that Danny was trying to kill him and he couldn't even attempt to talk some sense into the man because he couldn't breathe. Maybe it wouldn't matter if Jethro bothered to look for him or not. At the rate Danny was going, it would be too late by the time Jethro got there.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:** Suspend disbelief with me a little in this chapter…

* * *

 **Chapter Seven: Partner**

A mild annoyance had turned to frustration around 1:00 that morning, when Tony still hadn't shown back up. Jethro had checked with the motor pool attendant only to learn what he already knew: Tony hadn't checked the sedan in. He'd called the gate guard and received similar information. No one had seen him since earlier the previous evening.

Around 1:30 that morning the annoyance and frustration had faded and Jethro was simply pissed off. If Tony had taken a detour for some food or gone off to run who-knew-what errand in an effort to solve the case and impress him, Jethro was going to give him a very hard lesson in what it looked like to work _with_ a partner.

By 2:00 he'd figured out that all his previous emotions had been borne out of fear. This was no way three hour meal break and there was no way the man was driving around lost somewhere. Tony would've called him. At the very least he would've answered his phone one of the over one hundred times Jethro had called him. By 2:01 there was a BOLO out on Tony and the sedan he'd been driving, Abby was attempting to turn his phone on remotely so she could track him and Jethro was in his truck, racing down the route Tony would've taken to get from the crime scene to the Navy Yard.

Jethro kept his eyes open for anything that seemed out of place as he retraced the route but the nearly empty roads were quiet and offered no clues to Tony's location. Once he'd made it all the way back to the crime scene without a trace of Tony, he turned back around and sped off towards the Holiday Inn Tony had checked into earlier that evening.

He didn't see the sedan in the parking lot but he still went inside, managed to talk the front desk attendant into giving him a key card and entered Tony's room. The room looked exactly as it had when the two had left earlier that evening and there was no sign of Tony. The only thing there were the black shorts he'd traded for the jeans Jethro had brought him. Jethro grabbed the shorts that still smelled like Tony, that still smelled like sex, and images of the man leaving his house abruptly once again filled his head.

Had Tony run again? He had panicked at the crime scene right after they'd arrived but Jethro was sure he'd been in a better headspace when he'd sent him back to NCIS or he would've gone with him. And would Tony really steal NCIS's sedan when he had his own car? He'd stolen a car from Baltimore impound to chase a serial killer up the side of a mountain the previous winter but that still didn't feel right to Jethro and the fact that the car had a trunk full of evidence in a murder investigation really, _really_ didn't feel right to Jethro but where was Tony?

* * *

Danny Price, Matty Calhoun and Major Frank Raimey stood over Tony's body, watching as he convulsed on the floor. None of them made any effort to help him or even gave off the impression that they cared about Tony's wellbeing or the possible repercussions of their actions. They watched until the convulsions stopped and Tony laid unconscious in a puddle of his own piss and blood.

"I think that's enough, gentlemen," Raimey announced coldly.

"Should we take his belt away from him, Boss?" Danny asked.

Tony opened his eyes and stared at the wall in front of him but didn't move or do anything to show his captors that he was awake again. He'd been beat to hell and wasn't sure how much more he could take but if they left him alone long enough, he was confident he could find a way out of there.

"Nah," the major snarled, answering Danny's question, "let him keep it. He might wanna hang himself when he wakes up."

' _How generous,'_ Tony thought to himself. He flinched slightly when he heard the cell door clang and the lock turn with an almost scary finality.

"He's all yours, Knight," Raimey said. "I don't think he'll give you too much trouble."

The evil cackle that followed the statement made Tony's skin crawl but he showed no signs of being awake. He listened as Roderick Knight, an officer he'd never been fond of, made himself comfortable in the squeaky chair behind the desk. He was, no doubt, reclined back in the chair with his feet propped on the desk and his eyes closed. Knight was quite possibly the laziest officer in Baltimore, which was good for Tony. All he had to do was wait.

Thirty minutes later, after Knight had been snoring for a solid ten minutes, Tony tucked himself into the fetal position and slipped his arms around legs, moving his cuffed hands in front of him. He cringed at his achy muscles but didn't let them slow him down. Who knew how long he had before the others returned.

Tony stood carefully and turned around to confirm that Knight was indeed sleeping soundly behind the desk. He unfastened his belt and retrieved the knife he kept hidden in his buckle. Thank God for rule nine. Or was it rule eight? No, eight was the one about not taking anything for granted. Was it rule twelve? No, it wasn't twelve either. Jethro hadn't told him what rule twelve was yet. Maybe it was rule nine after all.

There would be time to ask about that later but first he had to get himself out of the predicament he was in, preferably before his tormentors returned to carry out whatever they ultimately had planned for him. Tony had no intention of sticking around and finding out.

He stood on the edge of the bunk in the cell and inspected the bars blocking the window. Just as it had been before he'd left, the bars were set in their own frame that were screwed into the concrete window cutout in four places. All anyone had to do was unscrew the four screws and ease the frame containing the bars out from in front of the window. Tony had always thought it was a stupid setup for a prison cell, no matter how temporary, but now he could use it to his favor. He worked quickly and quietly, using his knife to unscrew the screws, making sure not to wake the sleeping guard and soon his efforts paid off.

His adrenaline spiked at the minor victory. He replaced the knife, fastened his belt then took a moment to ready himself before smashing the heavy frame with the metal bars through the glass of the window.

"What the hell?" Knight grunted, waking instantly and standing to his feet when he realized what Tony had done.

Tony smiled and waved tauntingly at the man as he stepped down off the bunk. He watched as the guard entered the cell to stop his escape and as soon as the man opened the door and stepped inside, Tony's knee connected with his groin. Before Knight could drop to the floor in pain, Tony wrapped short length of chain between the cuffs around his neck and held firmly until the guard's struggling stopped and he went limp in Tony's arms. Tony let the man drop ungracefully to the floor, quickly found the key to the cuffs on Knight's belt and freed himself.

He paused long enough to punch the guard in the face but the immense pain and tearing sensation in his shoulder stopped him from hitting the man again and again like he wanted to.

"Bastard," he muttered under his breath before using the bed as a ledge to hoist himself up and wiggle out the window. He cringed as he dropped the short distance and rolled when he hit the pavement below, hoping to prevent further injury. Once he was safely outside and free from his captors, he sat up and waited for the dizziness to pass as he took in his surroundings.

Now all he had to do was get back to DC.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight: The Good Samaritan**

Tony moved quickly, hiding himself in the shadows as he put as much distance as he could between himself and the Baltimore PD precinct he'd just escaped from. He didn't know how long it would take them to notice he was missing but he was sure when they did that they'd come looking for him and if they captured him again, there was a good chance he wouldn't come out of it alive.

A clock in one of the shops he'd passed by told him it was just after 5:00 in the morning. The streets were nearly empty but as he hurried along, Tony stumbled on a nicely dressed businessman who, after watching him for a few short moments, seemed safe enough to approach.

"Excuse me, Sir," Tony said cautiously.

The man took one look at him and immediately stepped back. He reached into his pocket, fished out a bill and handed it to Tony. "Here you go," the man said.

Tony took the bill and the man immediately hurried off, causing Tony's anger at his current predicament to grow. He unfolded the money and was surprised to discover it was a twenty dollar bill. "Probably didn't have anything smaller than a twenty," he muttered snidely. "Too rich for your own good businessman."

He pocketed the money and continued walking, knowing he needed to get out of the city immediately. The only question was, how?

He could call Jethro to come get him… if he knew the man's phone number. He didn't trust the phones at NCIS. If they were being monitored, his tormentors would be able to get to him a lot faster than Jethro could. He ruled out a taxi because of the cost and a rental car for the same reason. That and the fact that he had no ID. He could steal a car, _again_ , but he really didn't want to risk committing a crime. His former colleagues would have a field day with that.

The sound of a train horn off in the distance had Tony stopping in his tracks. He turned to face the horn and a smile spread across his face.

Not long later, Tony was inspecting his reflection in the bathroom mirror at Penn Station. "Holy shit," he mumbled. "No wonder nicely dressed business dude gawked."

He tilted his head, letting the light hit his face at a slightly different angle. His eye was black and bruised and almost swollen shut. Dried blood had dripped down from his split lip and the ring Danny had been wearing had split his eyebrow, causing even more bleeding and that was only the injuries you could see. He was a mess.

He grabbed a handful of paper towels, wet them and went to work cleaning himself up as he formulated a plan to get a ticket with no identification. Once he deemed himself presentable, he poked his head out of the bathroom door, made sure the coast was clear then headed for the ticket counter. Thankfully the morning rush hadn't started yet.

"May I help you, Sir?" an elderly woman sitting behind the nearest ticket counter asked.

"I hope so," Tony answered as he stepped up to her counter. He could tell the little old lady was trying not to stare at his ghastly appearance and he really couldn't blame her. "How much is a ticket to Alexandria, Virginia?"

"$37."

"Damn it. What about DC?"

"DC is $13."

Tony perked right up. "I'll take it."

"Identification," the woman requested.

Tony laughed awkwardly. "Well, you see," he said, cringing at the story he was getting ready to tell. Maybe he should've just stolen a car after all. "I was mugged last night, beat up, brought up here to Baltimore and left with no way to get home. I barely escaped with my life. This nice gentleman I ran into this morning was kind enough to give me a twenty dollar bill but my wallet was stolen and all my other identification is back home in DC. Is there any way you could help me out? I'm so sorry to put you in this situation."

The woman remained silent for a long moment. It may have been the first sob story she'd heard that day but it wasn't the first one she'd heard during her time as a ticket salesperson; not by far. Judging by Tony's appearance though and the desperation in his voice, he wasn't lying and her heart went out him. "I can make an exception but just this one time."

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much!"

The woman offered him a smile as she printed the ticket, took his money and gave him his change. "Your train leaves at 5:43am and gets to DC at 6:30. Good luck, Sir."

Tony thanked the woman again then hurried off towards the train platform. All he had to do once he got to DC was catch a bus to Alexandria and $7 would be enough to do that. He was one step closer to freedom; one step closer to safety.

* * *

Exhausted didn't even begin to describe how Jethro was feeling. He'd been up for more than twenty four hours and the last cup of coffee he'd stopped for while he was out driving around looking for Tony had spilled all over his lap on a turn that had been sharper than he'd anticipated.

"Damn it, Abby, will ya just answer the phone?" he grumbled as he listened to it ring.

"Abby here!" Abby finally answered.

"What the hell took you so long?" Jethro grumped.

"I haven't gotten any sleep in the last twenty four hours, Gibbs!" Abby protested. "No sleep means extra Caf-Pow is required and extra Caf-Pow means extra trips to the little girl's room, if you know what I mean. I was in the head when you called and there's no way I'm answering the phone while I'm doing… _that_."

"Never mind," Jethro grumbled. "Do you have anything?"

"Unfortunately, no," Abby answered. "I just checked the BOLOs before I went to the bathroom. Maybe we should consider a news conference, Gibbs. If we get Tony's picture out there, that's a lot more eyes looking for him."

"Not sure how much good that would do, Abs," Jethro replied somberly.

"No! Don't say it."

"I doubt whoever has him is parading him around in public somewhere. I'll run it by Morrow when I get back though. I gotta stop by my house and change clothes and then I'll be in."

"Drive safe and bring me some pancakes, will ya?"

"Sure thing, Abs. Call the diner and order whatever you want. I'll pick it up on the way."

Jethro fought against the knowledge that his house, turned home when Tony had arrived, would once again be the cold, empty shell of a house as he hurried up the front sidewalk. Getting too sentimental wouldn't help anything and he didn't have time to deal with emotions and feelings. He reached for the door handle only to walk right into the door with a grunt of surprise—the _locked_ door. He tried the handle again and was confused when he realized that it really was locked. He never locked his door.

In fact, it had been so long since he'd locked his door that it took a moment to remember he had a house key on the same keyring his truck key was on. He fished the keys out of his pocket and unclipped his sidearm then unlocked the door and entered the house.

"Is that you, J?"

"Tony?!"

"Yeah, it's me. Where's your backup?"

"My backup what?" Jethro asked incredulously in response to Tony's casual tone. "Where have you been? I've had every law enforcement agency on the eastern seaboard looking for you all night."

Tony paused his frantic searching around Jethro's living room just in time for the man to reach over and turn the light on. It was light enough outside that both could see fairly well but it wasn't until the room was lit up and Tony was facing Jethro that the shadows were erased and the true extent of Tony's injuries started falling into place.

"What the hell happened to you?" Jethro demanded.

"This is my battle to fight, Jethro," Tony replied, determination set in his battered features.

"The hell it is." Jethro grabbed for Tony's wrists to force the man to focus on him but released him immediately when Tony jerked away with a yelp. "These marks are from handcuffs," he said, noticing them for the first time.

"It's not what you think," Tony insisted. "Jethro, I _really_ need a backup weapon. I know you have one around here somewhere."

There were so many questions swirling around in Jethro's head that it was quickly causing a headache but Tony wasn't answering any of them which made him want to yell and scream. He could tell just by looking at Tony though, that the man would simply yell and scream right back at him and then, quite possibly, storm out of the house… again. The swelling and bruises took away none of the expressiveness of Tony's features.

Jethro took a deep breath, willing himself to be patient for both of their sakes, then continued. "Tell me why. Where are you planning on going?"

"My old partner from Baltimore arrested me last night," Tony finally explained. His words were venomous and practically spat out of his mouth. "I knew it was bullshit from the start but when they got me back to the precinct, they did this," he added, gesturing to himself with his arms only to cringe in pain at his wounded shoulder. He might have to get that looked at when he got a minute.

"Arrested?" Jethro asked. Despite getting answers, he was even more confused than before. "I put out a BOLO out on you when you didn't make it back to NCIS. If you were arrested, your name woulda popped up in the system."

"Yeah, well, I told you it was bullshit and now it's my turn. If this is how they wanna play, this is how we'll play," Tony said firmly.

"What are you planning on doing?" Jethro asked, despite having no intention of letting Tony's emotions get him into real trouble.

"I haven't really gotten that far yet," Tony admitted, "but I thought I'd start by beating the hell outta Danny."

Jethro raised his eyebrows as he quickly assessed Tony's condition but Tony interrupted him before he could object.

"I know what you're thinking and that's why I need backup."

"Tony," Jethro said, his tone patient and hiding none of the love he felt towards the man standing in front of him.

"I can't just let this go, Jethro," Tony replied pleadingly.

"I'm not asking you to but if you go up there angry, in this condition, it's not gonna end well for you."

"Son of a bitch," Tony huffed angrily. "I hateit when you're right."

Jethro cautiously reached out towards his lover, breathing a silent sigh of relief when the man accepted his touch and even started to calm. He rested a hand on Tony's bicep, rubbing a thumb in soothing circles over the unmarked skin as he watched Tony's internal battle play out on his face.

"I gotta hit the head," Tony said before Jethro could speak again and a moment after that he was hurrying towards the downstairs bathroom. Before he was out of sight though, he turned and shot a cautious glance over his shoulder at the front door before looking back at Jethro again. "Just don't let anybody in."

Jethro cocked his head at the odd request and turned to look towards the front door for a moment before walking the couple steps towards it and turning the lock. "Okay."

Tony maintained eye contact for a moment longer, as if he were judging how serious the man was taking his request before turning and stepping into the bathroom.

Jethro shook off the odd request and rubbed his hand over his eyes as he headed for the kitchen. He needed coffee. Lots of coffee. But before he could even make it to the kitchen, he was interrupted.

"Jethro!"

The panic that Tony's voice held had Jethro rushing towards the bathroom where he was greeted just outside the door by Tony who still had his dick in one hand as he pointed towards the toilet with the other.

"What?!" Jethro asked exasperatedly. After spending the night searching and worrying, he'd had about all he could handle. His nerves were shot and he wanted nothing more than to get his hands on Tony's former partner and repay him for his hospitality.

"Look!" Tony fussed, motioning dramatically towards the toilet. He started peeing again, cringing in pain as he did so but clearly revealing the blood coming out in his stream. "It hurts when I pee and I am peeing blood. Blood, Jethro!"

"Okay, alright," Jethro said, trying not to panic, "I see that." He turned around and stood perfectly still for a moment as his thoughts finally got the better of him then he put his fist through the bathroom door, startling Tony and causing himself to curse in pain.

"What the hell?" Tony demanded.

"I don't fucking know!" Jethro said just as angrily. "Damn it."

"Are you cursing at me or your wrist?" It was Tony's turn to sound exasperated. He was on edge too and couldn't hide it any longer either.

"I'm not cursing at you," Jethro grumbled. "Finish doing whatever you're doing. We gotta go."

"Go? Go where?"

"Ducky," Jethro answered.

"Oh no," Tony insisted. "I do not need a doctor, especially not a dead person doctor. What I need is a little justice. Poetic justice would be even better."

"You're pissing blood," Jethro reminded the man. "It's either Ducky or the ER."

"I hate it when you're right," Tony said again, much calmer than the first time it had come out of his mouth. "If I wake up dead, I'm gonna be pissed."

"Ducky knows what he's doing," Jethro called over his shoulder as he left Tony alone in the bathroom to finish up.

By the time Tony had finished and made it back to the front door, Jethro was there waiting, holding a bag of frozen peas. The look on his face told Tony not to ask about it but to his surprise, Jethro tugged him into a hug, holding onto him almost desperately. It took only a moment for the tension to melt out of Tony's body and for him to wrap his arms around Jethro and hold him just as desperately.

"I was afraid I'd lost you," Jethro whispered. Tony had no idea of the weight of that statement; knew nothing of Shannon and Kelly but Jethro still felt the need to put a voice to the fear he'd felt.

"I was afraid you'd think I ran away or something," Tony admitted, "especially after last night." Jethro had been on his mind the entire time he'd been in Baltimore and much of his time had been spent wondering if there would be a Jethro to go home to. He was sure the man had given up on him like so many other people in his life had.

The combination of their feelings made for an explosive reunion filled with more tension than either had expected or knew how to handle.

"We should get going," Jethro said, releasing his hold on Tony.

Before he could get away, Tony grabbed the front of Jethro's shirt, tugged him close again and let their lips meet in a brief but passion filled kiss.

"I just had to do that," Tony explained shyly, putting a smile on Jethro's face.

Jethro chucked him under the chin, a gesture that was quickly becoming one of Tony's favorite shows of affection and a much calmer version of both men headed towards the truck parked in the driveway.

"You sure you can drive?" Tony teased lightly.

"Why wouldn't I be able to?" Jethro countered.

"You just put your fist through the bathroom door."

"You're not driving," Jethro informed the man. You can't see out of one eye and I don't want us to end up parked in a pine tree again."

"One time!" Tony quipped dramatically. "It was one time. I'm never gonna live that down, am I?"


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine: Clinics, Curse Words, and Cuddling**

The frozen peas that Jethro had brought along were resting on Tony's eye as Jethro drove back towards the city, stopping briefly at the diner to pick up Abby's breakfast and some coffee for himself and Tony on the way. By the time he parked in his spot at NCIS, Tony was asleep in the passenger seat. The sight made Jethro feel guilty but there was no avoiding the inevitable doctor visit.

"Tony," Jethro said, urging the man awake by rubbing a hand across Tony's arm.

Tony fussed, leaned closer to Jethro and settled in again. "I like it better when you wake me up with kisses," he mumbled.

Jethro wrapped his arms around the lover he had nearly lost and tugged him closer, not missing the tensing of Tony's muscles or the quiet, pained grunts that Tony tried to hide. He pressed slow, sweet kisses all over Tony's face, urging him awake despite Tony's continued protests.

"My favorite is when you wake me up with your cock," Tony tried.

Jethro coughed as the coffee he attempted to swallow at that exact moment went down the wrong way. Once his coughing fit ended, he took another swig and cleared his throat. "That is not happening in the NCIS parking lot. You're just stalling because you don't wanna see Ducky," he accused lovingly.

"I like Ducky," Tony protested.

"As a friend. Not when he's playing doctor."

More disgruntled mumbles told Jethro he was right, even though he'd known he was right before Tony had made any noise at all. "I don't like anyone when they're playing doctor."

"I bet I could change your mind."

The thought piqued Tony's interest enough that he opened his eyes and looked curiously over at Jethro. "Yeah?"

"Yeah, but not here and not now. Come on, Tony, let's get this over with."

Tony followed Jethro out of the driver side door of the pickup truck and after a brief stop in Abby's lab, he found himself in the antiseptic smelling autopsy suite, greeting a tired looking Ducky. Just the smell of the room was enough to add to his lightheadedness. It'd be a miracle if he didn't pass out.

"Oh good heavens, Anthony," Ducky said when he saw the man.

"It looks worse than it is, Ducky," Tony grumped dismissively. "I'm fine."

"We'll see about that," Ducky replied. "Let's have a look."

"He's pissing blood, Duck," Jethro informed, ignoring Tony's mutinous glare.

"Alright," Ducky said, his tone all business. "What else? Besides the obvious."

"Well, let's see," Tony snarked and both other men in the room knew whatever was coming next would be sarcastic, "I was hit, kicked, thrown around, slammed into the wall and floor, electrocuted—"

"Electrocuted?" Ducky interrupted in shock.

"Yeah but I walked out of there under my own steam. I'm fine," Tony insisted.

"Take your clothes off, Anthony," Ducky said, ignoring Tony's protests.

Tony couldn't see his own face, thankfully, but he was sure his eyes were bugging out of his head. Even the one that was nearly swollen shut. "Excuse me?"

"Either you can strip or I can strip you, Tony," Jethro said, putting an end to Tony's protests.

Tony shot Jethro his second mutinous glare of the day as he stripped down to underwear.

"Where did they electrocute you, Tony?" Ducky asked as he gave the man a once over.

"I don't know." Tony's frustration was growing and being complicated by his exhaustion.

"What do you see, Duck?" Jethro asked.

"It's what I don't see," Ducky answered. "Electrocution causes an entrance wound where the current enters the body and an exit wound where it leaves the body. I'm not seeing either."

"I swear I was electrocuted," Tony insisted as both men looked him over closely. "I think I would know. I was there."

Jethro reached out and gave Tony's forearm a squeeze, hoping to settle him. It was clear they were all on edge which was making a bad situation worse.

"We need to get him to the hospital," Ducky said.

"What? No! I am _not_ going to the hospital. I'm fine!"

"Is that really necessary, Ducky?" Jethro asked.

"Electrical currents are dangerous and unpredictable, Jethro. Tony needs to be checked out and monitored."

"Ducky, this is ridiculous. Gibbs, will you tell Ducky this is ridiculous?"

"Ducky, this is ridiculous," Jethro repeated flatly.

"Yes, well, ridiculous or not, it's necessary. Put your clothes back on, Anthony. The quicker we go, the quicker we can get this over with."

* * *

NCIS Special Agent Balboa sat just outside the door to Director Morrow's office, waiting as patiently as he could manage for his turn to be seen. He wasn't very good at waiting. He preferred to use his time a bit more wisely than sitting. He processed things better when he was moving and doing but he'd been summoned and considering the man was his boss, he didn't have much of a choice about waiting.

The phone on Morrow's secretary's desk rang and after the woman hung up, she sent him in with a smile.

"Have a seat," Morrow said, motioning to one of the fancy, oversized chairs in front of his desk. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting."

"What can I do for you, Director?" Balboa asked.

"Agent DiNozzo was kidnapped and attacked last night," Morrow informed the man. "He escaped. He's at the hospital now. Dr. Mallard and Agent Gibbs are with him. I need you to coordinate with Agent Fornell on the investigation into the attack and I need your team to take over the case Gibbs opened last night. What evidence we have is down with Miss Sciuto."

"What evidence we have? What does that mean, Sir?"

"Agent DiNozzo was on his way back to NCIS with the bulk of the evidence when he was kidnapped," Morrow explained. "The car with the evidence in it is missing. I'm afraid you've got an uphill battle ahead of you but Gibbs will be around to help after he's done at the hospital and so will DiNozzo as soon as he's cleared for duty."

"We'll get it done," Balboa replied confidently. "Which hospital are Gibbs and DiNozzo at?"

"Washington General."

"Then that's where I'll be," Balboa replied before making his exit.

* * *

Jethro reached over and rested his hand on Tony's thigh as he drove towards Washington General. He could see that the man was deeply conflicted, maybe even troubled. "Why are you fighting this so hard, Tony?" he asked gently. "You got somewhere else to be?"

"You'd do the same," Tony accused. "I vaguely remember dragging your ass, kicking and screaming, to the ER not long ago."

"I was not kicking and screaming!" Jethro protested, "and I didn't fight it this hard."

"Yeah, well, you didn't have somewhere else you needed to be."

"And where do you need to be right now, other than the hospital?"

"Baltimore." The determination in Tony's voice struck Jethro. "There's no way in hell I'm gonna let them get away with this."

"And what exactly do you plan on doing?" Jethro asked. "Tony, I love you to death but Abby could take you out in the condition you're in."

"Abby could take me out at my best," Tony countered. "She's one chick you don't wanna mess with."

"Good point," Jethro obliged. He pulled into the hospital parking lot and found a spot as close to the front as he could, which ended up not being very close at all.

"Did you mean you love me to death like you _love_ me or you love me to death as in you love me to death?" Tony asked, turning the first half of the question into something genuine and making the second half of the question dismissive. "Actually, never mind. Forget I asked," he added quickly.

Jethro gave Tony's thigh a final squeeze, relieved that Tony didn't want an answer to his question after all, a question he wasn't quite sure how to answer at that point, then slipped out of the truck and waited while Tony reluctantly followed behind him.

The ER waiting room was as busy as the parking lot but after a conversation between Ducky, one of the nurses and the receptionist, Tony was taken back to a room immediately.

There was no way Tony was going to complain about being moved to the front of the line but he did feel a little guilty. Despite what Ducky seemed to think, he was fine. There was no reason to be alarmed enough to cut in line. The receptionist handed Tony a clipboard with what seemed like a book of paperwork while the nurse, who'd introduced herself as Emma, laid a hospital gown on the exam table.

"This is so pointless," Tony grumped again. He rested his arm against the clipboard as he scribbled his name across the first line only to smear blood from his severely banged up wrists across the paper. The sight caused his frustration to grow until Jethro took the paperwork and pen from him.

"I need you to take off all your clothes, sweetie, and put that hospital gown on for me," the nurse said.

"Everybody wants a peek at my goodies today," Tony muttered.

"I've got to run and grab something," the nurse said with a kind smile. "I'll give you some privacy."

"We will too," Ducky said, following the nurse out. He paused in the doorway when he realized Jethro wasn't right behind him and cleared his throat to get the man's attention.

Jethro remembered Ducky didn't know he and Tony went home together every night and was waiting for him to follow along. "We'll be right out here if you need us," he told Tony.

"Now everybody wants to be considerate of what I might want," Tony snarked. "Not when I say that a trip to the hospital is a waste of time."

"I realize we both want to mother hen Tony right now, Jethro," Ducky said after he'd closed the door to Tony's room, "but it's clear we're going to have to give him some space."

"Huh?"

"Well, like leaving him alone long enough to change, for instance."

"Oh, that. I just didn't hear you, Duck. I was busy filling out the paperwork." It seemed like a perfectly logical explanation, unlike _I've seen Tony naked more times than I can count_.

"I see."

"We're all running on no sleep, Duck. We just need to muscle through this until we get to a point where we can all go home and get some rest."

The door opened putting an end to the awkward conversation, and Tony poked his head out. "I'm all naked underneath my clothes," he reported. "You guys can come back in. And where's that nurse? I'm ready to get this over with."

It wasn't long before the nurse returned, right after Jethro had returned from giving Tony's paperwork back to the receptionist and explaining that some of the information was missing due to his missing wallet.

"Alright, Anthony—"

"Tony," Tony said, interrupting the nurse immediately.

"Tony," the woman corrected kindly. "Can you tell me what happened last night?"

"Well, I was handcuffed, berated, hit, kicked, electrocuted and then left on my own," Tony replied with a sarcastic overtone. "I didn't stick around to find out what they had planned for me next."

"Where were you hit and kicked, honey?" the nurse asked as she recorded everything Tony was saying in his file on the computer.

"Uhh," Tony took a moment to take stock of his injuries, "pretty much everywhere? My face," he said, pointing to his eye and then his lip, "my stomach, of course, because that's the most fun place to hit somebody. The back… I think. I don't really remember, doc."

"I'm the nurse, baby," the woman corrected, her patience never wavering. "Did you lose consciousness at all?"

"Yeah, I think so, when they electrocuted me."

"I couldn't find any signs of electrocution," Ducky interjected.

"No offense, Ducky, but you weren't there," Tony ground out. "I was and I swear to fuck I was electrocuted."

"Calm down, Tony," Jethro coaxed, reaching out and rubbing his hand over Tony's arm, "and watch your language."

"I'm sorry," Tony snapped, "but I'm telling you, I _was_ electrocuted."

"Okay, Tony," the nurse said, her tone free of judgment, "we'll have a look."

"I was merely saying there's no evidence of that, Tony," Ducky tried. "I'm not trying to discount what you went through at all."

"We're all tired, Duck," Jethro said when he could _feel_ Tony getting worked up again.

"Is there anything else I should know about, Tony?" the nurse asked.

"I don't think so but who knows. I'm sure I forgot something." Tony looked towards Jethro and Ducky for conformation.

"He's urinating blood," Jethro added, "enough that it's visible in the toilet."

"Does it hurt when you pee?"

Tony laughed outright. "It hurts when I breathe," he informed the woman. "Taking a—uh, uh, pee, is excruciating."

"You can say piss, honey," the nurse informed Tony with a cheery laugh. "I've heard it all before." She made one final note in the computer before moving over to Tony's side to start getting his vitals.

"I bet you have," Tony replied, trying to sit still while the nurse checked him over.

"Alright, Tony, I'll let the doctor know you're ready to be seen and we'll see if we can get you out of here so you can go home and get some rest."

"Thank you, nurse Emma."

"I'm sorry I snapped at you, Ducky," Tony said after the nurse had left. "I didn't mean it like that. I'm just grumpy and I really don't wanna be here but it wasn't fair for me to take it out on you."

"I understand, dear boy," Ducky replied kindly. "I think we could all do with some rest."

The door opened again, way too fast for Emma to have gotten the doctor, causing all three men to glance towards it as Balboa stepped into the room. Jethro greeted his longtime friend but Tony saved the wise ass comment that came to mind, a little too intimidated by the man to be snarky. Balboa appeared to be around the same age as Gibbs and the man definitely had the same commanding presence that demanded respect. Tony hadn't had much of an opportunity to do more than say hello in passing.

"You look like hell," the agent informed Tony, poking around Tony's black eye. He let Tony push his hand away only to prod at Tony's busted up lip as soon as he let go.

Tony grumbled and turned away slightly, although he was a bit surprised by the gruff man's gentleness.

"Did you take some body shots too?" Balboa asked.

"I wouldn't be here for a black eye and a split lip," Tony answered.

"Mind if I have a look?"

Tony swallowed hard and glanced at Jethro, unsure about undressing once again in front of another new person. "Why the hell not?" he replied.

Balboa helped Tony ease his arms out of the hospital gown and carefully moved it down his torso, letting it pool in Tony's lap to protect his privacy. He didn't touch, like he'd done to Tony's face but took note of deepening colors that would turn much darker in the coming days.

"They left you cuffed?"

Tony nodded, looking at his bruised and cut up wrists. He missed the souring expression on Balboa's face.

"I'm headed to Baltimore to have a look around," Balboa said. "Anything specific I should look for?"

Tony half shrugged. "You won't find anything," he said. "The whole thing felt too planned."

Balboa nodded though he was just as determined. "You were held in their holding cell by Detectives Price and Calhoun and Major Raimey until you busted out the window and made your escape?" he confirmed, reading the notes he'd scribbled from the truncated report Director Morrow had given him.

"Yeah," Tony answered with a slight nod. "And Roderick Knight was guarding me. I left him with a little keepsake."

"Yeah, what's that?"

"I broke the window to get his attention," Tony answered, "and when he came in to stop me from escaping, I put him in a chokehold till he passed out so I could get the handcuff key off his belt. After I freed myself, I mighta punched the dude in the face for a little payback."

A proud smile spread across Balboa's face and Tony somehow felt he'd just earned the man's respect. He wouldn't have cared except Balboa was Jethro's friend and Tony wanted to make the man look good.

"We'll get 'em, Tony," Balboa said, winking at the man before turning towards Jethro. "Fornell 'll be waiting to question DiNozzo when you guys are done here. I'm headed to Baltimore before they can destroy all the evidence. I'll check in with you guys later."

"Thanks, Balboa," Jethro said, shaking the man's hand. If he couldn't investigate Tony's case, which he knew he couldn't, Balboa was on the very short list of people he wanted on the case.

Tony watched as the agent made his exit then looked towards Jethro as he redressed himself. "I thought he was gonna strip me naked too for a minute there," he told his lover. "Thought maybe he wanted a peek at my junk too."

"Balboa could care less about your junk," Jethro teased lightly.

Tony gasped in mock insult. "Well if he had any idea what I was packing down there, that wouldn't be the case."

"Yeah, you wish," Jethro continued, winking playfully at Tony. He was thankful for the lighter mood that seemed to be settling in the room. "Balboa was a medic on an Army Green Beret team. He's seen plenty of _junk_ in his day and he's even patched me up a couple times when Ducky wasn't around."

"Oh," Tony said, growing slightly confused. "Wait, I thought you had to be in the Navy or Marines to work at NCIS."

Jethro watched Tony for a moment as a grin spread across his face. The man was clearly beyond exhausted if he was asking such questions. "Which branch did you serve in?"

Tony's face turned a healthy shade of red as he realized what he'd said. "Oh, yeah," he said quietly. "Pain meds make me kinda loopy. I think that nice nurse slipped me something when I wasn't looking."

Jethro lovingly chucked the man under the chin, letting him off the hook as the door opened and nurse Emma walked in followed by Dr. Daniel Grafton.

After introductions were made, the nurse sent Tony into the bathroom for a urine sample while the doctor looked over the information that had been collected so far.

"It might be best if we step out, Jethro," Ducky said. "They're going to want to have a look at Tony… _all_ of Tony."

"We stripped him down to his skivvies in autopsy before we left," Jethro protested. He was tired of being kicked out of Tony's room when he'd seen _all_ of Tony on more than one occasion anyway. He really didn't want to miss any of what the doctor had to say or wait in the waiting room while his lover was being tended to.

"We're all guys here," Tony said, "and I'm not shy. Just grumpy."

Jethro sat in an out of the way chair, making his intentions clear, leaving Ducky standing in the middle of the room, confused. He looked back and forth between the two men before lowering himself into the seat next to Jethro.

"Here's my pee, Nurse Emma," Tony said, offering the specimen collection jar to her, "at least everything I managed to squeeze out before I passed out from the pain."

"Should be enough," the nurse replied. "Go ahead and have a seat on the exam table."

"Is there a reason these tables are so high?" Tony grumped as his sore body protested his efforts to ease himself onto the table.

"It saves my back," Dr. Grafton answered, stepping closer to Tony and smiling at his newest patient. "Any trouble breathing, Anthony?"

"It's Tony and only when I was taking gut punches."

The doctor nodded and huffed onto his stethoscope to warm it before pressing it to Tony's back, moving it around to a few different places and then repeating the process on his front. The man poked and prodded at bruises and sore spots, moved joints to test dexterity and asked a few more questions before an unsettling extended moment of silence elapsed while he added to the notes in Tony's record.

"Alright," he said when he'd finished, "I'm going to send you for an x-ray on your right shoulder. I don't like how stiff and tender that is and after that I want you to have an EEG."

"An EEG?" Tony asked. "'cause I was electrocuted?"

"I don't think you were electrocuted, Tony," Dr. Grafton said. "Did you lose control of your bladder at all?"

"What do you mean? Like, wet my pants? I'm not two!" Tony's protest came out with a sting of insult but he mostly just felt embarrassed.

"It's a common occurrence," the doctor assured Tony.

"Nothing to be ashamed of, Tony," Jethro reminded the man nonchalantly.

Tony huffed dramatically and rolled his eyes but finally came clean. "Fine, yes. On top of everything else that happened last night, I pissed my pants like a two year old."

"That's because you had no control, Tony," Dr. Grafton said. "From what you've told me, I suspect your head bouncing off the concrete wall caused a seizure which can sometimes feel like you're being electrocuted."

"But I walked out of there under my own power," Tony countered. "I'm fine!"

"I'm sure your adrenaline had spiked and I'm guessing your fight or flight response had kicked in," Dr. Grafton explained. "Your body's capable of all kinds of things when there's an imminent threat."

"What will an EEG tell you?" Jethro asked, growing more concerned at the new development.

"At this point, probably nothing," the doctor answered. "I suspect he had a complex partial seizure which would only show up on an EEG if he were hooked up while he was having it. It will rule out a Grand Mal seizure, however, which would be more serious."

"What if it is just one of the first kind of seizures you mentioned?" Tony asked.

"If it is and it was caused by the blows to your head then there's a high likelihood that you won't have any further problems but I would recommend staying with someone for the next couple days who can keep an eye on you just to be on the safe side. Let's see what your brain scans show though, before we get too far into the home care."

Over an hour later, after long, quiet waits that had been interrupted by text message pictures of Tony with electrodes attached to his head and playful pleas of desperation about the creatures attempting to eat his brains, Tony was wheeled back into his room and reunited with Jethro.

"Where's Ducky?" Tony asked as he moved from the wheelchair to the exam table.

"I sent him home," Jethro answered. "He was falling asleep in the chair. How are you?"

"I don't know," Tony answered, "still alive, I guess. They said the doc'll be back after he looks at my x-rays and the EEG thingy."

"Hopefully that won't take too long," Jethro said tiredly.

Tony eased down from the exam table, settled in the chair next to Jethro and rested his head on his lover's shoulder. "I'm glad you sent Ducky home," he said quietly around a yawn. "That means I get you all to myself."

Jethro kissed the top of Tony's head then rested his head against Tony's, enjoying the intimate moment before they were interrupted again. By the time the doctor and nurse returned, Tony was asleep and Jethro was nearly so.

"What'd you find?" Jethro asked, his deep voice echoing in Tony's ear and waking him.

"Sorry, Doc," Tony said, rubbing a hand roughly over his face in an attempt to wake himself before moving back over to the exam table.

"I'm almost ready to discharge you," Dr. Grafton said. "I looked at your x-ray and your right shoulder was separated which means the ligaments between your collarbone and shoulder blade were torn. It probably happened in the struggle, most likely from your hands being restrained behind your back. Our body's natural response is to throw our hands up in defense, which you, of course, couldn't do. It'll heal with a little rest, ice for the pain and swelling and this." He revealed a sling, making Tony groan. "I know but it's better than surgery."

"At least there's a bright side," Tony muttered, watching as the doctor slipped it in place and fitted it appropriately. "What about my brain, Doc?"

"Your EEG came back normal," the doctor answered. "I'm comfortable diagnosing a partial seizure but if you feel like you're being electrocuted again or anything strange like that—staring off into space, losing time, a strange déjà vu feeling, come back and see me immediately and I'd still like you to stay with someone who can keep an eye on you."

"That's a relief," Tony said, glancing at Jethro to find he was just as relieved. "I don't live alone, doc, so we're good there."

"Will you document and photograph his injuries for the criminal investigation?" Jethro requested.

"I've got everything documented," the doctor answered. "Emma can take photographs. Will you be needing a copy or should we be expecting someone or…"

"Someone will be by shortly to pick everything up," Jethro answered, knowing that if he took them, especially with Tony with him, a good defense attorney might cry contamination.

"We'll make sure it's ready for them."

"Thanks for all your help, Dr. Grafton," Jethro said sincerely.

"It was my pleasure," the doctor replied. "Emma will take those pictures, go over the discharge instructions and then you guys will be free to go but don't hesitate to return if need be."

* * *

It was surprisingly easy to get in to see Major Frank Raimey after arriving in Baltimore. In fact, it was entirely too easy, almost as if the Major had been expecting someone to show up but Balboa rolled with the punches and didn't say anything. He wasn't even two seconds in to his questions when he realized the Baltimore Police Department would be denying everything and stonewalling. That was neither unexpected or a surprise.

"So Anthony DiNozzo, your former officer, wasn't here last night?" Balboa confirmed. He knew he had to tread lightly or risk being shut out completely.

"Son, you'll soon come to realize that DiNozzo's nothing but trouble," Raimey confirmed. "He's not all he presents himself as and I'm truly sorry NCIS has now been saddled with him. No, he wasn't here last night and he most certainly wasn't locked up in our holding cell."

The Major sounded sincere and maybe even convincing but all that meant to Balboa was that he was a good bull shitter, a con man.

"He showed back up in DC this morning, beat to hell," Balboa informed the man lightly. "Any ideas how that might've happened?"

"Knowing DiNozzo, he probably did that to himself or had someone else do it to frame us," Raimey replied confidently.

"Do you mind if I have a look around?" Balboa asked.

"Absolutely," Raimey answered without hesitation. "I have to run but I'll have one of my officers take you anywhere you'd like to go and get anything you want—security footage, last night's records, anything."

"Thank you, Major."


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note:** I apologize for not responding to any reviews. I really, really do appreciate each and every one of them! I have family in town this week and I'm spending every spare moment with them but I wanted to keep posting chapters for you guys to hopefully enjoy.

* * *

 **Chapter Ten: Old Friends and New Developments**

"Wait, what're we doing here?" Tony asked as Jethro pulled the truck into his parking spot at NCIS.

Jethro looked at the building and then back to Tony in confusion. "Where did you think you we were going?" he asked. "You said you refused to sleep if we went home."

"Baltimore," Tony answered as if it should've been obvious.

"We're not going to Baltimore, Tony."

"Come on!" Tony grumped dramatically.

"We've already had this conversation. Would you rather go home and sleep?"

"I refuse to sleep in the middle of the day when there's a case to work," Tony groaned as he practically fell out of the car.

The dramatics made Jethro roll his eyes. He was beginning to understand why Ducky slipped him sleeping pills when he was in the same condition and was almost wishing he had some to give Tony.

"In that case, c'mon," Jethro said. "We got places to be."

He led the way into the building, through security and up to the bullpen to drop their things off. Just as he finished telling Tony not to get comfortable, Morrow appeared on the catwalk and summoned both men up to his office.

"I feel like I'm taking the walk of shame to the principal's office again," Tony said as they made their way up the stairs.

Jethro almost managed to stop the smile from spreading across his face as he walked by Morrow's secretary and stepped into the man's office, followed by Tony.

"How are you doing, Agent DiNozzo?" Morrow asked.

"I'm good to go," Tony assured the man. "I just have to ice the shoulder a couple times a day and not push too hard."

Morrow looked to Jethro for confirmation then nodded. "If you two are going to be here, I want you working your case," he said sternly. "That way I know you're not working Balboa's case."

"Yes, Sir," Jethro replied.

"I hope I don't have to remind either of you what could happen if this case is compromised in any way, especially thistype of case."

"We'll steer clear," Jethro assured the man.

Morrow nodded, satisfied he'd made his point, then motioned to his men that they were dismissed.

"Well that was fun," Tony snarked once they'd reached the elevator. "I guess playtime's over."

"Welcome to NCIS, DiNozzo," Jethro told the man. "You might wish you'd opted to go home and sleep by the time this day is over."

Tony followed Jethro through what were quickly becoming a familiar maze of hallways, to a conference room on the same floor as the bullpen. He stepped into the room where a balding man where was sitting at the table waiting for them.

"Tony, this is Tobias Fornell," Jethro introduced.

"The FBI agent," Tony finished for Jethro.

"You've been talking about me," Fornell said proudly. "I'm flattered."

"Okay, but why is he here?" Tony asked Jethro before turning his attention to Fornell. "Why are you here?"

"Your case has been assigned to me," Fornell explained. "I'm here to get your statement."

"That won't be necessary, Agent Fornell," Tony replied. "We've decided to handle this matter the same way they did. We're stooping to their level. It's low, I know, but you gotta do what you gotta do."

"I'm afraid now that you've told me, your plan is foiled," Fornell replied. "I can't let you do that. Besides, I brought pizza. It'd be a shame to let it go to waste."

"I don't like your friends, Jethro."

"Yeah, well, I don't like him much either but I can't seem to get rid of him."

"Hey!" Fornell protested. "See if I ever bring you coffee again."

Jethro grinned at the good hearted teasing before turning back to Tony. "I thought you were antsy to get going on the case."

"I'm antsy to get to Baltimore and kick some ass," Tony corrected.

"In that condition?" Fornell scoffed, much like Jethro had done previously.

"I could take you down," Tony threatened, standing even taller.

"Alright, enough," Jethro interrupted, stepping between the two men.

"This won't take long, Tony," Fornell assured the man. "Balboa's already in Baltimore sniffing around. Let's get a little justice, the right way."

"Fine," Tony grudgingly agreed, despite still being unwilling to completely give up on the idea of going after Danny on his own. If Danny wanted to throw the rule book out the window, he could play that way too. Never before had he wanted to get his hands on someone so badly.

"Pizza?" Fornell offered.

Tony took one look at the box, inhaled one whiff of the aroma his favorite treat was giving off but despite how hungry he was, the prospect of eating turned his stomach in the opposite way. "No thanks." He briefly wondered if he was dying. Never before in his life had he turned down pizza.

Jethro did a double take at Tony's uncharacteristic refusal of one of his favorite foods but chalked it up to the brutal beating he'd taken. He offered the man a drink of the coffee Fornell had brought for him but Tony turned his nose up at that too.

"You trying to finish me off?"

"You a comedian now?" Jethro asked.

The two shared a look that somehow seemed to diffuse the situation before Jethro disappeared to the breakroom while Fornell started asking questions. Part of the way into Tony's statement, Jethro returned with two cups of coffee, one black for him and one doctored to perfection with sugar and hazelnut creamer for Tony.

"Thanks," Tony said, grateful that Jethro loved him enough to share half of his coffee with him. Maybe the man did love him as in _love_. Jethro didn't share his coffee with anyone.

Tony explained how he'd been stopped by an unmarked car after leaving the crime scene only to find out if was Danny and his new partner. He told of being arrested and watching helplessly as the car he'd been driving was put in neutral and pushed into the Potomac but he wasn't familiar enough with the area to be able to tell them exactly where he was pulled over or even where the car went into the river.

He continued on, telling them about the trip to Baltimore and everything that had happened once they'd arrived, glossing over the parts that were fuzzy, and ending with a very proud recollection of conning his way onto the train back to the city.

Fornell asked questions when necessary but mostly just listened to the fairly detailed statement and scribbled notes. Jethro sat next to Tony, schooling his features as he heard the entire story all laid out for him for the first time too. He resisted the urge to reach out for Tony, to attempt to comfort both his lover and himself, knowing that would out them.

"How are you doing with all this, Tony?" Fornell asked as they finished up. "We have people you can talk to if need be. There's no shame."

"I'm fine, really," Tony said, laughing the idea off.

"Just don't turn out like Jethro, building a boat in your basement," Fornell commented.

"You're kidding," Tony said, his interest clearly piqued.

"I wish I was."

"What does that mean?" Jethro interjected. "It's none of your business what I do in my basement."

"Is your basement even big enough for a boat?" Tony asked in amusement. "I mean, how do you get it out?"

Jethro glared at Tony but Tony couldn't help himself and kept going.

"You know what they say," Tony commented. "Small boat… small dinghy."

Fornell spewed his coffee all over the front of himself.

"Don't you worry about my dinghy," Jethro replied, eyebrows raised in warning.

Tony grinned at his lover, loving the new development and opportunity to tease him in front of his longtime friend. He was also thankful for the distraction from everything else that was going on.

"Alright, guys," Fornell said, "I'm out before this goes any farther. I'm headed to the hospital to pick up your report so I can get started on this. You guys get some rest. You both look like hell."

"Let us know if you have any more questions, Tobias, and keep us in the loop," Jethro said. With Fornell gone, he turned his attention back to Tony. "Let's get caught up on our case," he said.

"Before we do that, I just wanna pitch the Baltimore idea one more time," Tony said.

"Why are you so intent on getting to Baltimore?" Jethro asked again. It almost seemed like an obsession.

Tony half shrugged his non-injured shoulder. "I just feel like it's my battle to fight. If Danny wants to play dirty, I can play dirty too. I might be injured but I'm not weak."

"It has nothing to do with strength. They could've killed you, Tony. They slammed your head against a wall until you had a seizure."

Tony grew quiet as Jethro's words sank in and the reality of the situation became clear. He _wasn't_ invincible and his former coworkers could've very easily killed him. In fact, there was a point in captivity that he thought they were going to. "I guess that never really crossed my mind," he admitted. "I mean, you think you know somebody, right? Never in a million years would I think Danny was capable of killing me..." he hesitated and found Jethro's eyes, "until now."

Jethro rested his hands on Tony's shoulders and when the man didn't pull away, he gently tugged him closer, wrapping him in a hug as realization washed over his partner. He pressed a long, hard kiss to Tony's forehead in the privacy of the conference room before pulling back and looking at the man.

"Jethro?"

"Hmm?"

"I still wanna beat the shit outta all of 'em."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven: More than One Way to Ride an Ass**

"Jordyn Hamilton's mother is in the conference room," Jethro informed Tony. "Reinterview her." They'd quickly gotten up to date on the case so Balboa's team could officially hand it back over to them. The only major new development had come from Ducky—Jordyn Hamilton was pregnant. Now it was time to hit the ground running and see what they could find out.

"But Balboa's team already interviewed her," Tony objected.

"Did the tone of my voice make it seem like a suggestion?" Jethro barked.

"Reinterviewing the mother, Boss!" Tony said, jumping to his feet. He liked the no-nonsense, gruffer version of Gibbs that appeared at work.

"When you're done with that, we'll head to Quantico to talk to the people she worked and bunked with."

"Tonight?" Tony asked in surprise, unable to stop himself. "We wouldn't get down there till 9:00 at the earliest."

Jethro stood tall in front of Tony, his presence undeniably commanding. "You got somewhere else you need to be, DiNozzo?"

"Uh, no, not really. I guess not," Tony stuttered, mentally scolding himself for objecting. He hurried by the man and off to the conference room before his mouth could get him in any more trouble.

The serious expression on Jethro's face didn't fade until Tony was out of sight.

Tony paused to smooth out his button up shirt before turning the knob and opening the door. "Ms. Hamilton," he greeted with an open smile.

"Please, call me Peggy," the woman replied, wiping at the corners of her eyes. "I'm so sorry. I'm trying to hold it together but I haven't been able to stop crying since it happened."

Tony fought the awkwardness of having an emotional woman sitting in front of him and focused on his task. "I can't even begin to imagine what you're going through," he said with genuine sympathy. The woman's daughter had been murdered on the front lawn of her and her husband's home, Jordyn's childhood home.

Peggy sniffed back a few more tears and wiped her nose. She fought hard against her emotions, finally, barely managing to pull herself together before looking up at Tony with reddened but somewhat clear eyes.

"Can you tell me about your daughter, Peggy? What was Jordyn like?"

"She was a wonderful daughter," the woman replied warmly. "She was smart, graduated at the top of her class, and she always wanted to be a Marine. She was a tomboy, tough, as strong as a lot of her male friends."

"Did she have a boyfriend?"

"No. She didn't want the distraction. Her focus was on her career. She said it wouldn't be fair to string a boyfriend along or bring children into the world, especially not with all the moving around she knew she'd be doing."

"That makes sense," Tony said as he continued to listen.

"She never was one of those girls that had her wedding planned since she was five or couldn't wait to have children. All she wanted was to be a Marine and serve her country. I always hoped the desire for a family would come at some point only because I didn't want to see her alone, but she was my daughter and I would've loved her regardless. I always loved her."

Despite the growing heartache evident in Peggy's body language, Tony continued asking questions. Questions about odd behavior or anything seeming off kilter recently were adamantly denied and questions about enemies or any threats was met with a look of confusion that mirrored how Tony felt on the inside. Regardless, before his 'arrest' the other night, he wouldn't have thought he had any enemies capable of kidnapping and torture but he would've been wrong. He knew all too well that it was impossible to guess what other people, even those counted as friends, we're capable of.

After finishing up with Peggy Hamilton and seeing her out, Jethro and Tony made the hour long drive from the Navy Yard to Quantico, Virginia where Jordyn Hamilton was stationed. The two Marines she roomed with were easy to track down at the home they shared while those she worked with proved to be a little bit harder to locate after their normal work hours.

After what seemed like a whole lot of effort for not very much new information, Jethro once again parked the car in NCIS's motor pool shortly before 1:00 that morning.

"Check that evidence we brought back with us in," Jethro told Tony. "I'll meet you at the truck in ten."

"Where are you going?" Tony asked but Jethro just continued to walk without turning around or responding. "Alright," he called after the man, "I'm just gonna check this evidence in and I'll meet you at the truck in ten minutes." He scrubbed a hand tiredly over his eyes, wincing in pain when he brushed across his sensitive, swollen eye but quickly shaking it off and getting back to his task.

* * *

Abby reached up and touched the corners of her eyes and then glanced at her fingers, checking to make sure her eyes weren't bleeding. She'd been sitting in front of the computer screen for so long that each additional second she watched caused the moisture in her eyes to build but she simply rubbed it away and continued watching. Her task was important and she didn't have a moment to waste.

"Gotcha!" she announced proudly, freezing the footage on the screen.

She'd tracked the last cell phone tower Tony's phone had pinged off of and spent hours painstakingly going over surveillance footage along the route Tony would've taken back to the Navy Yard and it had finally paid off. She'd found footage of the sedan Tony had been driving being pulled over by the unmarked car. Now all she had to do was follow it and see where their car went into the river and where the undercover car went. Then she could pass her findings along to Fornell and get them moving even faster. Hopefully he wouldn't be too mad…

A short time later, she had all the information she needed and she was dialing Fornell's cell phone number.

"I have your coordinates for the dive team," Abby said as soon as he answered.

"What? I thought you were swamped with another case. I thought we agreed the FBI would track the car."

"Well, _I_ never agreed to anything," Abby replied. "That was you and Balboa. Now, I've got surveillance footage of Tony being pulled over and I followed it to where they dumped they car. Do you want the coordinates or not?"

"How?"

"It's what I do. Should I send a Navy dive team to get the car outta the river?"

"No, no," Fornell said quickly. "The FBI has a dive team too."

"Okay, I'll send the coordinates to your phone and see you there in twenty minutes."

"See me there?!"

"Well somebody's gotta oversee things," Abby said.

"Oversee things? I do have a team of forensic scientists, Abby, and they've been looking for Tony's car too."

"Well clearly they need a little help," Abby replied unapologetically.

"I'm not gonna win this one, am I?" Fornell asked.

"Trust me," Abby said, "it's better this way."

Fornell simply rolled his eyes and hung up the phone.

* * *

Jethro stared at the back of Tony's sleeping form, wishing he was asleep too. He was exhausted but restless and more interested in what was going on with the case than he was in sleeping. He also knew that if he was up and moving around, Tony would be too so he settled for watching his lover sleep.

The man may have had bumps and bruises but to Jethro he looked like a million bucks. He'd been in law enforcement long enough to know that most missing persons cases didn't end so well and he'd already had his own brush with evil with two people he couldn't have loved more so he was content to simply watch and savor the time he got with his Tony.

He reached out and gently pulled the sheet up, covering Tony's long, muscular legs, hiding his black boxer briefs and matching black t-shirt before carefully tucking it around Tony's shoulder. He startled slightly when Tony's rolled over and looked at him.

"You were laying so still I thought you were sleeping," Jethro said quietly.

"It just hurts to move," Tony replied. "I can't sleep."

"Still itching to get to Baltimore?"

"I dunno. To be honest, I feel like I'm getting more and more sore with each passing minute."

"Sit tight," Jethro said, patting the man's thigh before sliding out of bed and disappearing. He returned moments later with a glass of water and a bottle of pain killers. "Take a couple of these," he instructed, popping the top off and shaking a couple pills into Tony's hand.

Tony swallowed the pills without protest then resettled on his back, this time, so he could watch Jethro.

"So, where does it hurt?" Jethro asked.

"Huh?"

"Where does it hurt?"

"Um, everywhere."

A smile spread across Jethro's face. "Where does it hurt the most?"

"Uh… maybe my eye, surprisingly," Tony answered, still confused.

Jethro slowly leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss to Tony's eye. "Better?" he whispered.

"Mmm," Tony hummed blissfully, "but my lip's kinda been hurting too."

"Yeah? I figured you might say that," Jethro replied with a laugh before pressing his lips to Tony's in a lazy kiss. "How was that?"

"You missed the spot," Tony playfully informed him. "Try again."

Jethro happily obliged and was met with Tony eagerly kissing him back. Lazy, exploratory kisses slowly turned hungry but rapidly growing desire soon had Jethro pulling back until he was hovering just out of Tony's reach, with his mouth still open, his hot breath still sending tingles down Tony's spine and his tongue still peeking out as he looked down at Tony as if the separation in contact was absolute torture.

Tony strained up towards Jethro, desperate to reconnect but Jethro stayed just out of reach, trying to calm his need before edging forward slightly and allowing another brief kiss then pulling back again.

The teasing continued until Jethro knew if he didn't stop that very instant that he soon wouldn't be able to. He flopped back onto the bed next to Tony and realized immediately that Tony's breathing was just as harsh as his was and there was a bulge forming in his boxer briefs. His desire to reach out and touch the man was interrupted by what had happened the evening before Tony's arrest, after they'd indulged in a little adult fun.

"You're not gonna panic on me again, are you?" Jethro asked cautiously.

"No," Tony answered, obviously embarrassed.

"Will you tell me what happened?"

"I don't know. Sometimes my inner bully just gets the better of me."

Jethro's nodded in understanding and reached out to touch his lover. "You are a good fuck, Tony," he informed the man, "but I don't fuck around. I don't waste time on meaningless screws. You're so much more than that."

Tony cocked his head at Jethro. No one had ever really complimented him like that before. People usually just wrote him off as the immature funny boy and left it at that.

"That's right," Jethro said, his tone cocky. "I know there's a lot more to you than jokes and pranks."

"No one's ever taken the time to look," Tony whispered.

"You _earned_ your spot on this team. I didn't give you anything," Jethro assured his lover.

"Is that why you were riding my ass all day?"

"I told you, no special treatment."

"I like it," Tony said, his expression relaxing into a smile. "Makes me feel like I belong. I don't want any special treatment. Ever."

Jethro smiled and reached out for Tony again. "Still think I keep you around because you're a good fuck?"

"Well I _am_ a good fuck," Tony joked before resettling. "Would it be inappropriate to cap this little talk off with a good fuck? There's more than one way to ride my ass, you know."

Jethro looked down at the man as if he were considering it but was interrupted by Tony reaching for his hand and attempting to push it closer to the bulge in his underwear.

"Touch me," Tony breathed.

"The doctor told you to take it easy," Jethro replied, fighting his own need.

"I'm a little beat up, not dead," Tony pointed out. He pushed harder against Jethro's hand and said again, this time more urgently, "touch me."

Unable to resist Tony's pleas on top of his own need, Jethro let Tony guide his hand down to his cock. He remained still for another long moment, his mind warring between what he wanted and what might be the wiser decision before he finally gave in, rose up over Tony and the kissing started all over again, this time while he played with the still growing bulge in his lover's underwear.

The teasing kisses along with the deft touches heightened the excitement but Jethro didn't let up and no longer hesitated.

"Fuck, Jethro," Tony groaned as he writhed beneath the man. "Feels so good."

Jethro roughly pushed Tony's shirt up his torso, ignoring the grunt of discomfort in favor of attending to his nipples, one at a time. Tony's back arched up off the bed but pain had him sinking back immediately. He rested a hand on the back of Jethro's head, running his fingers through the man's short hair and massaging his scalp in encouragement.

"Oh yeah," Tony continued, rubbing and pinching the nipple Jethro wasn't attending to.

After thoroughly working Tony over, the kissing started all over again, hungry and desperate, accompanied by grunts of need interspersed with moans of satisfaction.

"Don't move," Jethro said, pausing briefly and reaching for the drawer in the nightstand. He grabbed the lube then sat tall, hovering over Tony's thighs. After pushing the front of Tony's wet underwear down and out of the way and doing the same to his, he squirted some lube into his hand and ran it down Tony's length and over his ball sack, sloppily spreading it around as he started playing again.

"God, Jethro, you make so hard," Tony groaned.

"I can see that," Jethro replied, pushing his hips forward enough that he could thrust against Tony's cock. Tony was so excited that there was little give left to his cock and Jethro could feel it pulsing in his hand. He used a mixture of Tony's precum and the lube he'd spread over his lover's cock to lube up his own cock then began stroking both of them at the same time, watching proudly as Tony moaned and writhed.

Not wanting to risk aggravating Tony's soreness any further, Jethro started stroking his lover in a way that was sure to bring him off. He paid close attention to Tony's most sensitive spots, grazing and fingering, teasing his lover until he leaked even more. Watching Tony's body react involuntarily and listening to the sounds he was pulling out of the man had Jethro leaking steadily and quickly building up to what promised to be an explosive finish.

Tony reached for himself to squeeze and stroke the base of his cock while Jethro continued fingering the tip.

"Jethro, please," he begged, despite not knowing what he was begging for.

"Don't worry," Jethro answered confidently. "I'll take care of you."

Tony's toes curled against the sheets and he brought his knees up behind his lover, spreading them as wide as he comfortably could, opening his body up to his lover.

Jethro ignored his own desire for a moment, reaching behind Tony's balls and pushed against the extremely sensitive spot hiding behind them, stealing the last of Tony's control. The harder Jethro rubbed against the spot, the louder Tony moaned and the farther his spurts went.

Jethro continued to stoke and rub, not letting up until some of the tension in Tony's body began to dissipate then he refocused on his own need, moving Tony's hand to his own cock and growling in satisfaction when the man started to finger his tip. Jethro pumped long, hard strokes, letting the fire build deep inside him and spread until it overwhelmed him and he couldn't hold on anymore.

He gave up the fight and added to the thick, white spurts streaking across Tony's torso and the black t-shirt that was scrunched up just below his armpits. Tony's fingers went from Jethro's cockhead to his own cock, stroking himself to get a few last sparks of excitement as he began to soften while Jethro did the same. As they finished up, Jethro rubbed his cock against Tony's, watching as the most sensitive parts of their body were put together in the most exciting of ways.

The rubbing slowed down but continued until the sensitivity became too much and forced them stop. Jethro rolled off of Tony and fell onto the bed next to him, still breathing heavy, just as Tony was.

"You sure know how to make me feel better," Tony commented.

"Or take your mind off things," Jethro corrected, hoping Tony wouldn't end up even more sore after what they'd just done.

"Either way, now I know who to go to when I need a distraction," Tony replied, unfazed.

"You can always come to me."

Tony laughed awkwardly. "Part of me was afraid you'd think I couldn't handle the job and I'd just run off or something. I wasn't sure if there'd be a you to come to."

Jethro raised himself up on an elbow, reached out and rested his hand on his lover's belly, ignoring the evidence of the fun they'd just indulged in splattered all over him. "There will always be a me to come to," he told his lover. "I don't give up on the people I love."

An undeniable warmth spread through Tony's body and he couldn't resist the urge to scoot closer to the man. Jethro grabbed his discarded t-shirt from the floor and spooned in next to Tony. He wiped Tony's chest clean then curled in closer and held the man tighter, knowing sleep would claim him with or without his permission.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve: Focus**

Abby walked around the car that had been pulled out of the river earlier that evening. Aside from a little mud splattered across its normally pristine surface, it didn't look at all like it had spent the last almost twenty four hours in the Potomac. The smell was a different story.

She carefully inspected the outer surface of the car, searching for any clues that might be helpful in proving Tony's story, taking swabs and samples and dusting for prints before turning her attention to the interior of the car where she repeated the process.

"Have you had any rest in the last forty eight hours, Abby?" Balboa asked as he walked around the car, taking in its condition just as Abby had done.

"More than enough," Abby answered.

Balboa bent over and peeked in the window, looking through the car, directly at Abby.

"Okay, minimal," Abby confessed, "but more than enough. I'm fine."

"In that case, what'd you find?"

"Well, Tony's creds, weapon and phone were on the floorboard in the passenger side of the car so this is definitely the car he was driving."

"Anything else?"

"The car's been wiped so there's no prints and the Potomac took care of any DNA that may have been left behind but I just got the car. There is much to be done."

"I've got camera footage from Baltimore's holding cell, swabs, electronic records, glass shards I found outside the window the Tony broke and a couple other goodies in here," Balboa said, patting the box he'd brought with him.

Abby perked right up, eagerly grabbing for the evidence transfer form but Balboa held it just out of her reach.

"Sign for it and go home, Abs," the man instructed firmly. "Everybody else is gone for the day too. We all need sleep."

"Okay," Abby reluctantly agreed, reaching for the paperwork again.

"Not till you promise me," Balboa said, still holding it out of her reach. He knew Abby well enough to know she wouldn't break a promise.

Abby sighed heavily and rolled her eyes. "I promise. I'll put this evidence away and deal with it in the morning, after I go home and sleep."

"Good girl," Balboa teased, earning himself a playful punch to the shoulder. He smiled at her and handed her the form then the two said their good nights and prepared to head home for the night.

* * *

After following through on her promise to Balboa and even managing to get a rare few hours of pretty decent sleep, Abby had returned to NCIS. She was juggling two important cases for the agency's two top teams and didn't have time to waste on personal indulgences. By the time the first team showed up looking for answers, she had plenty to tell them.

"I ran the glass shards Balboa brought me and talked to a specialist in Baltimore," Abby reported, "and the age of the glass is consistent with the building's age _but_ , even better than that, when I called the local specialist, who also happens to work at a window company, he let it slip that he'd been called in for a rush repair job yesterday. Would either of you two fine gentlemen care to guess who needed the emergency repair?"

"No way," Fornell said in disbelief.

"Yes way," Abby countered proudly. "His company repaired the window Tony broke and they were paid in cash, not with a check from the government like he was expecting."

"That's good, Abs," Balboa praised.

"And that's not all," Abby continued. "I also looked at the security camera footage from Baltimore's holding cells," she said as she cued the video. "Notice anything hinky?" she asked. "Perhaps the guard on duty?"

Fornell looked confused but realization dawned on Balboa and a smile spread across his face. "That's Aiden Mitchell," he said. "That's the guard they sent home."

"At first I thought he was lying about his involvement," Abby said, "but I watched all the footage and there's no Tony so I looked closer and they doctored the footage. The real footage is gone. They replaced it with this."

"Raimey admitted to sending Mitchell home," Balboa stated. "His statement along with this footage might be enough to get a search warrant. I've got Mitchell coming in at zero nine today. I'll get confirmation from him and Tony that he wasn't there."

"Good work, Abs," Fornell complimented.

Abby just smiled proudly as both men left.

* * *

Eight o'clock may have seemed like a perfectly normal time to arrive at work for many law enforcement officials but by Jethro's standards they were late. One look at Tony in the passenger seat of the truck somehow made it all okay though. He knew the man needed rest so his body could heal and Jethro could tell it had obviously helped. It was clear Tony felt better than he had the day before and that was worth arriving at work a little later than he would've liked.

"So what's on the agenda today?" Tony asked as they headed for the building. "The case, obviously but is there a specific direction we need to go?"

"We need to figure out who got Hamilton pregnant," Jethro answered. "Any guess about why?"

Tony didn't even have to think about his answer. "It's the most likely motive."

Jethro nodded proudly, feeling once again like his decision to hire Tony was the right one. "And you thought I just kept you around for your skills in the bedroom."

"Not _just_ in the bedroom," Tony replied with a wink. "We had a pretty wild time in the backyard right after I got home from FLETC and you still have to take me down to the basement and show me your dinghy."

The comment made Jethro smile even bigger but the smile disappeared and he slipped into boss mode as the elevator dinged and let them off in the squad room. "Get with Abby, go over the evidence again and see what we missed. Call me when you figure out who the baby's father is."

"On it, Boss!" Tony replied, also slipping into senior agent mode. The façade faltered momentarily though. "See what I did there?" he whispered seductively. "On it? Double meaning… I wouldn't mind being on something right now." He let his eyes rake seductively down the man's body until Jethro's hand connected with the back of his head.

"Focus, Tony," the man ordered.

"Focusing," Tony answered back. "I'll be in the lab."

"Take this down to Abby," Jethro added, handing Tony the Caf!Pow he always got for Abby to start her day.

Thirty minutes later, Tony was sitting at Abby's desk, reading the journal they'd brought back from Jordyn Hamilton's Quantico home the previous night while Abby leaned against his back and read over his shoulder.

"Comfortable, Abs?" Tony asked distractedly.

"Very," Abby answered. "Actually I'd be more comfy in your lap but Gibbs might get jealous."

"I'm not so sure this won't make him jealous," Tony pointed out. He knew he would've been upset.

"Gibbs'll know this is innocent," Abby said distractedly as she pointed to a section of the journal. "What do you make of this?"

"Went to the doctor after blacking out again," Tony read. "He said it's not from the pregnancy… unfortunately."

"Sounds cold," Abby observed.

"Well, her parents did say she was more focused on her career and not interested in having kids," Tony pointed out. "They didn't even know she was pregnant until we told them."

"Yeah, but there's a difference between not wanting a kid because you're focused on your career and being downright cold towards your unborn child," Abby objected.

"Yeah."

"You sound hesitant," Abby observed.

"Something doesn't feel right," Tony admitted. He could feel the frustration creeping in. He had so many questions that he couldn't get answers to because nobody was being straight with him. He knew damn well that they weren't being straight with him but he didn't have a damn clue how to force them to open up.

"What?" Abby asked.

"I don't know but something's off. Something in this whole mess of puzzle pieces isn't right and I don't have a damn clue what it is and nobody's being straight with me!"

"Whoa, Tony, calm down," Abby said cautiously. "We'll figure it out."

"How? Gibbs is expecting me to work a miracle here, Abs," Tony complained dejectedly. "Like, I get the whole no special treatment thing and I don't want any but I think he might be punishing me for losing all that evidence. This case would be so much easier if I hadn't let that happen."

"First of all, there's no such thing as an easy case, Tony," Abby informed the man matter-of-factly, "and secondly, Gibbs isn't punishing you. Losing that evidence wasn't your fault at all and he knows that."

"Then what's he doing? I don't get it!"

"Gibbs is always hard on people but he has his reasons."

"His reasons?"

"Yep! But it wouldn't be fair of me to tell you what they were. That'd spoil the fun."

"Fun? I'm pretty sure nobody's having any fun right now. I feel like I'm screwing up all the time," Tony confided, "like I'm always five steps behind Gibbs and I'm never gonna catch on."

"It's your first case as an investigator, Tony. You're not screwing up, I promise. Just hang in there, be patient with yourself and it'll all be worth it." She tugged him into a tight hug, ignoring the yelp of pain as she put a little too much pressure on his wounded shoulder but before Tony could settle into the hug too much, Abby was pulling away and turning back to her desk. "We should get back to work. Gibbs'll be here soon and he'll be expecting answers. Let's keep reading and see what else she has to say."

"You keep reading," Tony said as he stood. He handed her the journal then donned gloves and opened the box of evidence he and Jethro had collected at the young Marine's home the previous evening. "I'm gonna see what I can find in here."

The two went about their separate tasks, both searching for that one clue that would break the case wide open but as time passed, disappointment set in.

"Anything?" Abby muttered almost a half an hour later.

"There's nothing in her stuff, nothing from her apartment that indicates a guy ever set foot in her home," Tony said.

"She's a good looking girl," Abby pointed out, "and there's a difference between not wanting a serious boyfriend or family or whatever and not wanting sex. Obviously she was interested in sex considering she was preggers."

"Exactly," Tony agreed. "I'd totally hit on her. Why is there no sign of romance in her life yet she somehow ended up pregnant? Did you find anything else?"

"No," Abby answered. "Pretty much the same thing day after day."

Tony replaced the evidence then tossed the latex gloves. "I'm gonna head back to the crime scene. Maybe if I poke around her childhood room and talk to her parents, something will click."

"Alright, I'll keep looking from here," Abby replied.

Tony dialed Jethro's number as he stepped into the elevator and informed the man about his plans when he answered.

"Come see me in interrogation before you go," Jethro instructed.

"In interrogation?" Tony asked, adding an approving growl to the end of his question. "Does this have anything to do with me being _on it_?" he asked seductively. "Please say yes."

"I'll be in observation," Jethro replied, ignoring Tony's attempt at seducing him and hanging up the phone but not before a grin spread across his face.

A handful of minutes later, Tony opened the door to observation and joined Jethro in front of the two way glass in the darkened room. On the other side of the glass Balboa dropped his, folder onto the table in the interrogation room as he paced around it, pausing to hover in Aiden Mitchell's blind spot.

"I told you to bring your union rep with you," Balboa said.

"That's not necessary, Sir," Mitchell replied. "I've got nothing to hide. I didn't do anything wrong. I swear it." His eyes met Balboa's in the mirror in front of him and they hid none of the trepidation that was rapidly building in his body.

Balboa paced around into Mitchell's line of sight again, leaned against the wall on one side of the mirror and continued. "BPD's records say you were supposed to be guarding the holding cells two nights ago."

"I was, Sir, but Major Raimey sent me home since there were no prisoners."

"Stop calling me sir." Balboa's tone was no nonsense, "What happens if patrol brings someone in and you're not there to watch 'em?"

Mitchell shrugged and began to fidget in his seat. "I don't know, Si— uh… Raimey said he'd take care of it."

"So where were you?" Balboa continued.

"I went to my girlfriend's house, er, ex-girlfriend. I have a two and a half year old son. That was the first night in a long time that I actually got to read him a bedtime story."

"This guy's nothing more than a scapegoat," Tony said as he watched from the other side of the glass. "He wasn't there when I was there. I've never seen him before in my life."

"Seems like a gullible kid," Jethro commented.

The two continued watching as Balboa coaxed what little information he could out of Aidan Mitchell. The kid clearly didn't know much and Jethro agreed with Tony's statement about him being a scapegoat but Tony watched with different interests. Balboa was gruff, short tempered and hard on Mitchell but not unfairly so. He easily maintained control of the conversation and left no doubt in the BPD officer's mind about who was in charge. It reminded Tony of Jethro and he couldn't help but imagine what it'd be like to watch his lover interrogate someone or maybe even be interrogated by the man himself.

"You okay?" Jethro asked when Tony grew quiet.

"Yeah," Tony choked out. "Uh, I think I'm having a little problem here," he admitted, looking at Jethro and then down at the front of his pants.

Jethro followed Tony's gaze and a smile spread across his face. He glanced over at the technician monitoring the audio and visual equipment to make sure he wasn't paying attention then reached over and slipped his hand between Tony's legs. He growled in approval in Tony's ear and gave the man a squeeze.

"You're surprisingly horny for being in so much pain," Jethro observed as they continued watching.

"It's all your fault," Tony accused proudly.

"It's time for you to grow a pair, Mitchell," Balboa ordered sharply, startling Mitchell and refocusing Gibbs and Tony's attention. "People are walking all over you and you don't even realize it. You find your confidence and stand up for yourself," he continued, slamming both fists onto the table separating them, "before you get yourself or someone else killed."

Balboa stood to leave but stopped before he reached the door and looked back at Mitchell. "And don't ever let anyone take advantage of you like I just did. Others won't be so nice. Always bring your union rep to formal questionings." He turned and left without another word.

In the observation room, Jethro pulled his hand away from the front of Tony's pants moments before the door opened and Balboa entered.

"Tony?"

"Never seen him before," Tony answered. "He wasn't there that night."

"Micah, give us the room?"

The audio visual tech nodded, got up and left, leaving them alone in the small, dimly lit room.

"Why would they do this to you, Tony?" Balboa asked, the gruffness slowly fading away as he came down from the high interrogations always brought.

"I-I d-don't know," Tony stuttered, suddenly feeling like he was in the hot seat.

"You piss anybody off _that_ much?" Balboa continued, calming even more.

"I don't think so."

"Tell me what happened," Balboa urged. "How'd you end up here, working for NCIS?"

Tony was growing more and more nervous. He was unwilling to share his secret but afraid to deny Balboa answers. His skin was growing cool and clammy except for his hands which were suddenly sweaty. "Gibbs offered me a job and I accepted," he answered evasively.

"Tony," Jethro interrupted calmly, "you can trust Balboa."

Tony looked back and forth between Balboa and Jethro, all of his excitement over witnessing Mitchell being interrogated now gone.

"My dad's a big name businessman in New York City," he started, "a conman, actually. I'm his only son. I'm his only _kid_. He was pissed when he found out I had no intention of taking over the family business so now every time I get settled somewhere, he shows up and makes shit up."

"What kind of shit?" Balboa asked.

Tony shot a nervous glance towards Jethro, wishing he was anywhere else, talking about anything else. "He showed up in Baltimore just before Christmas and told the guys I'm gay which, of course, never goes over well in our line of work. And it didn't help that I'd just broken off my engagement to my fiancée. Senior convinced everyone that was why there was no wedding."

Balboa looked more confused than Tony had ever seen him. "They did all this, risked everything because they thought you were gay?" He shook his head and looked to Gibbs for confirmation. "There's gotta be more to it than that."

"They were pretty pissed off at me," Tony offered unsurely but a glance at Balboa told Tony that the man still wasn't buying that as motivation. "If there's more to it than that, I don't know what it would be."

Balboa nodded, satisfied with the information Tony had shared, and disappeared from the room without another word. He headed down the hall with purpose, pulling out his phone and calling Fornell as he walked.

After bringing his partner for the case up to speed on the interrogation and his chat with Tony, he said, "My gut says there's more to it."

"What is it with you NCIS agents and your guts?" Fornell asked.

"It's a prerequisite for getting hired," Balboa joked.

Fornell laughed before growing serious again. "With this many players involved, I doubt the motive is personal. I'd put my money on a financial motivation."

"I got lucky in Baltimore earlier but I doubt they're just gonna hand over anything else, especially anything incriminating," Balboa said. "I'll see if Abby can read the license plate on the car that pulled Tony over. If we can trace it back to Baltimore PD that might be enough for a search warrant that'll let us dig into their personal lives."

"I'm headed your way now," Fornell said.

* * *

Balboa and Fornell were baffled. They knew what Tony was telling them and they believed him but the evidence was telling them something different. Abby had run the license plate on the car that had pulled Tony over and found out that it belonged to a civilian, Richard DuBois, who lived in Falls Church and had no connection to Tony, Baltimore PD, NCIS, the Navy or any other law enforcement official or agency. It made absolutely no sense.

Things got a little clearer when they pulled up in front of the man's house and found a Ford Crown Victoria that looked to be black in color, a car that was identical to one many agencies used for their unmarked cars.

"I think I know what's going on here," Balboa said as both men exited their car and made their way over to the Crown Vic.

"Check the VIN," Fornell said, already dialing Abby's lab as he caught on too.

"The VIN comes back to the license plate that pulled Tony over," Abby reported moments later.

"What about this plate?" Fornell asked, reading off the sequence of letters and numbers on the license plate of the car in front of him.

"That plate comes back to a black Crown Vic registered to the Baltimore Police Department," Abby reported.

"Thanks, Abs," Fornell said before hanging up and confirming what he and Balboa had already figured out. "BPD found a car the exact same color and model and switched the plates to cover their asses."

"Call the tow truck," Balboa said excitedly. "We gotta impound this car. I'll give Mr. DuBois the bad news."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen: Revelations**

Tony sat on the edge of the twin size bed in the room tactfully done in a soft purple color scheme. It was clearly the room of a teenage girl and if the color scheme didn't give it away, the swimming and softball trophies, stuffed animals and artwork left no doubt. He looked around the room, taking in the cheerful atmosphere as he got a feel for who their victim was and what her life had been like only a few short years prior.

He imagined her in her room, looking out her window, sitting at her desk doing homework, looking through the clothes in her closet or the jewelry in her jewelry box. Did she have friends over often? There were an endless number of pictures of her with her friends tucked in the corner of her mirror and tacked to her walls. What did they talk about? Judging by the photographs, they liked to hang out at the pool in skimpy bathing suits and one of them had a fire pit and a little land where they held frequent bonfires. There were pictures of them bowling and skating, shopping, eating and partying.

"I made you some coffee, Agent DiNozzo," Patty, Jordyn's mother said softly.

"Thank you," Tony replied graciously. "You didn't have to go to the trouble."

"It was no trouble at all," Patty said kindly. "I needed a refill anyways."

The two sat in silence for an extended amount of time as if they were soaking in Jordyn's spirit.

"I can still smell her in here," Patty admitted quietly. "Maybe it's just my imagination but I don't care. I used to sit in here all the time when Jordyn was deployed. I felt close to her and it took away some of the anxiety of her being in such a dangerous situation. Now that she's gone, I spend just about all my time in here."

Tony hesitated before responding cautiously. "Are you afraid if you don't, you'll somehow lose that connection with her?"

Patty looked over at Tony and their eyes met. "How'd you know?" she whispered.

"I lost my mom when I was little," Tony whispered. "I refused to leave the library in our house for the longest time because that's where Mom and I would spend a lot of our time, escaping reality into the land of whatever book she was reading to me."

Patty nodded in understanding. "How long did it take before you could bring yourself to leave the room?"

"I was only eight when she died. I couldn't read as well as she could and it just wasn't the same so I got frustrated. It didn't help that my dad got frustrated with me. He didn't approve of me living with my head in the clouds when my mom was alive and when she wasn't there to shield me from his feelings, I found out just how much he didn't approve but I figured out I could kinda get the same effect by watching movies. I could lose myself in the story without the frustration of not being able to read as well as my mother. I traded in the library for the TV room and it was somehow okay. I still felt close to my mom. It probably sounds cliché, but I figured out she's in my heart more than the library; she's close to me no matter where I am or what I'm doing."

"You seem like you've really come to peace with it. I'm sure time helped but I hope I can get there some day."

"You will," Tony assured her. "Time does help. Just when you feel like you can't take it anymore, like you're never going to be able to move on, something will click and you'll feel this unmistakable presence. It'll come. I promise."

Patty nodded as the tears welled up again and Tony reached out and rested his hand on her arm, hoping to comfort her.

As the tears faded, Patty got out one of many photo albums to share with Tony, who took full advantage of the opportunity to get to know his victim better. He listened to the stories behind many of the pictures, asking a few questions of his own and soaking up all the details. He also took another one of Jordyn's journals after her mother had revealed her daughter's hiding spot. By the time he said goodbye, he didn't feel any closer to a big breakthrough but he hoped something in the details would stick out and lead him down the right path.

* * *

"As soon as I figured out what happened, I entered the license plate from Baltimore PD's car into the traffic cam system and thanks to an incredibly smart computer and a little luck, I got a hit fairly quickly," Abby told Balboa and Fornell. "I was able to figure out when and where the plates on the two cars were switched. Luckily for us it happened in DC."

"Did you get video of it happening?" Fornell asked hopefully.

"Not from the traffic camera system," Abby answered. "That pretty much only monitors traffic and it'd be silly to attempt to switch plates in the middle of the road at a red light."

"Abs," Balboa said, refocusing her.

"Right!" Abby said. "I requested surveillance footage from the business that owned the parking lot where I believe the switch took place and thanks to timestamps and a little more luck I found this." She pulled up the footage and let the two agents watch for a moment. "Is it just me or is that some of the reddest hair you've ever seen?"

* * *

The foot wiggling restlessly back and forth on Tony's desk froze as he read the journal Peggy had given him. It started when Jordyn was in high school and continued on through boot camp and AIT before she'd finally run out of pages and moved on to a different notebook. He read the single sentence again and this time it caused him to sit straight up in his chair and take notice. He read the sentence one last time then popped up out of his chair and hurried towards the elevator.

After an impatient trip on the elevator, he got out on the floor below and headed into Abby's lab where she was talking to Ducky.

"I'm glad you're both here!" he said excitedly. "I think I found her online handle, Abs. Listen to this." He opened the journal to the spot his finger was keeping and read the sentence that had captured his attention in the bullpen. "I was brave today. Or, more accurately, DevilDawg was." He looked up at the two scientists and smiled proudly. Will you help me find the websites she's been posting on, Abs?"

"Absolutely!"

"Ducky, do you think she might have a split personality?"

Ducky took the journal and read the section again. "That's smart thinking but I don't think that's what's going on, Anthony. You see, the internet is quickly turning into a place where people can be someone they're not. Bullies are using it to carry out their harassment while hiding behind the safety and security anonymity offers but it would appear our victim is using it to find her courage."

"But she's a Marine," Tony replied, confused.

"That doesn't mean she doesn't struggle with her self-image, my dear boy."

"Alright," Tony agreed before moving on. "There's something else. How old were you when you had your first boyfriend, Abs?"

"I was in preschool!" Abby announced proudly.

Tony rolled his eyes and chuckled but got right back on track. "There's no mention of any boyfriend in her journal. There's no pictures of her with guys that appear to be more than just friends anywhere. Not in her room, not in the photo albums her mom shared with me, not at her apartment in Quantico. Something hinky's going on here."

"Maybe she has a secret boyfriend!" Abby says excitedly. "Maybe she talks about him online somewhere. If she does, I'll find it. You can't hide anything from Abagail Sciuto!"

"But that wouldn't explain why there's never been any mention of a boyfriend," Tony said. "These journals go all the way back to the ninth grade. I mean, I haven't had a chance to read them in depth but it's usually pretty obvious when a girl has a boyfriend or even a crush on someone."

"You're right," Abby admitted. "That is hinky. I'll dig into her online life and see what I can find. Maybe she has a secret journal somewhere that explains what's going on."

"Thanks, Abs!"

Tony took the journal and headed back towards the bullpen, whistling as he went. Hopefully Jordyn's online life revealed something that would point them in the right direction. Now that things were heating up, he was starting to have fun. Or as much fun as one could have while investigating a murder case. By the time he slipped into his chair in the squad room, Jethro had returned from wherever he'd been and was waiting to be briefed.

"Alright, talk to me. What do you know so far?"

"There's something hinky going on with this pregnancy," Tony said.

"Hinky?" Jethro questioned. "You've been hanging out with Abby too long."

"It's a fun word," Tony said with a shrug.

Jethro simply grinned at him. He was just glad they were getting along. Abby didn't always take too kindly to new people. "What're you thinking?"

"I can't find any sign of her ever having a boyfriend. I've looked through her journals, talked to her friends, talked to her parents and yet there's no mention of a guy but all of a sudden, she's pregnant. I mean, her focus on her career is one thing but it doesn't explain an altogether absence of boyfriends going all the way back to high school."

"Or her being so secretive, even around her closest friends and family," Jethro added.

"Exactly," Tony said. "I don't know what to make of it but I feel like there's something there."

"Extramarital affairs are a big deal in the military," Jethro informed Tony. "It's not like the civilian world where your spouse gets pissed at you, takes all your worldly possessions and kicks you out of the house. You can be court martialed and end up doing hard time along with a dishonorable discharge. If she had a secret lover that was married, it could've cost both parties everything."

"That could certainly spell motive," Tony said, "especially if a pregnancy was going to out them."

Jethro nodded, taking a moment to mull over the new development before looking at his watch, standing and grabbing his gear. "That's enough for today," he said. "Let's sleep on it and see where we're at tomorrow."

* * *

The moonlight created a blue hue in the otherwise dark bedroom on East Laurel street in Alexandria. It was nearing midnight and proving to be another night where sleep refused to welcome them into its embrace.

"Can't sleep?" Jethro asked quietly.

Tony was lying on his side, watching Jethro in the dark. "Still thinking about that interrogation," he said, failing at his attempt to keep the troubled tone out of his voice.

Jethro reached out into the darkness and brushed his fingertips across Tony's cheek, waiting patiently for him to continue.

"I get why victims of crimes are sometimes reluctant to come forward," Tony said quietly.

"What do you mean?" Jethro asked curiously.

"All those questions Balboa was asking me? I kinda feel like I'm the one under the microscope," Tony explained.

"You kinda are, but not because you did anything wrong."

"I know that but I don't exactly want all my secrets out in the open. Nobody does so why subject yourself to that if you're the victim of a crime? It's not fair. It woulda been better if I coulda just handled this whole thing myself."

"Until I had to start visiting you in jail," Jethro teased in an attempt to keep the mood light. "You know it's more complicated than that, Tony."

Tony nodded and an awkward silence settled between them.

"You seemed to be enjoying Balboa's questions when they were directed at Mitchell," Jethro said, segueing into a happier topic.

"Only because I was imagining what it'd be like to watch you in interrogation," Tony said around a laugh.

"That what turned you on?"

"Well it certainly wasn't Balboa," Tony answered.

"Good answer," Jethro growled as he leaned in to kiss Tony.

Tony kissed back eagerly and nipped at Jethro's lower lip when he tried to pull back, initiating another kiss. Passion overtook the somberness of the moment, causing Jethro to reach between Tony's legs and brush against his half interested dick to confirm what he wanted.

"You're insatiable," he growled.

"It's all your fault," Tony accused good naturedly. He followed Jethro's hand down, rested his hand on top of his lover's and started rubbing himself with Jethro.

"What do you want?" Jethro whispered, his lips brushing against Tony's as he rubbed noses with the man.

Tony kissed Jethro, briefly but passionately before answering in a voice just as quiet as Jethro's had been. "I wanna suck your cock," he answered, kissing Jethro again before lowering his voice even more, "get you all lubed up so you can fuck me."

Jethro felt his heart flutter inside his chest as a surge of excitement spread through him. "You sure?"

"I took a pain pill before bed. I'll be fine," Tony assured his lover.

Jethro hesitated for only a moment before reaching down and pushing his underwear down his long legs and kicking them onto the floor. He sat up above Tony and looked down at the man, smiling as he trailed a finger across his lover's cheek, his desire to reach out and touch overwhelming.

"Lift your hips up," he instructed.

When Tony did, Jethro pushed his underwear down and off and tossed them onto the floor with his own. His cock pulsed in excitement at the thought of soon being in Tony's mouth and when Tony reached out and brushed his fingers over his lover's length, Jethro couldn't wait any longer.

He grabbed the flavored lube they sometimes used on out of the drawer as he swung around and straddled Tony's face before bending over so that his face was in Tony's crotch. He squeezed some lubed on his hand and rubbed it over himself for Tony then added more and rubbed it over Tony's protruding cock.

"Not too much too fast," Jethro requested before licking from the tip of Tony's cock down to the base and nuzzling into his ball sack. "I wanna play."

Tony opened his mouth and guided Jethro's cock into it, slowly but surely taking him all the way down, breathing through his nose as he swallowed around him and pulling a sharp curse from his lover's mouth.

Jethro pinched Tony's ass in warning but the move only caused a hum of approval as a bead of precum oozed out. He lapped up the precum then kissed all along Tony's shaft and his cockhead before opening his mouth and taking it inside. He used the lube that was remaining on his fingers to begin to open Tony up, his movements confident and steady until he was easing two fingers in and out of Tony in an easy, lazy rhythm.

Tony couldn't stop himself from rocking in rhythm with Jethro's movements, thrusting into Jethro's mouth in the process. He yelped when Jethro's fingers found his prostate and a stream of precum spurted out.

"Don't," Tony panted frantically after releasing Jethro from his mouth. "I don't wanna cum till you're inside me."

Jethro couldn't resist and bumped it again, earning another spurt of precum which he happily swallowed down. The added suction had Tony's head dropping helplessly against the pillow as a sharp curse came out of his mouth.

Tony reached down and squeezed the base of his cock, fighting hard against Jethro's ongoing advances but the man simply started nipping at his fingers before carefully prying one away using only his teeth and sucking it into his mouth.

"Jethro," Tony whimpered helplessly.

When it became clear that Jethro wasn't going to let up, Tony decided his only countermeasure was an equal attack. He nuzzled and sucked on the man's balls, inadvertently moving them out of the way so he could first lick and then suck against the incredibly sensitive area behind them. He felt his lover falter immediately but refused to relent.

Jethro face planted between Tony's legs and reminded himself to simply breathe. His cock hardened even more and leaked out onto Tony's chest. Jethro was tempted to reach down and stroke himself but he knew if he did that it would all be over. The temptation might've won out had Tony not begged to be fucked; begged for that connection that took their relationship to a whole new level.

Tony reached for Jethro's cock and licked along the underside from the tip all the way down, over his balls before nuzzling the sensitive area behind with his nose again. Before he completely lost it, Jethro grabbed for his cock as he lifted his body up and moved off of Tony.

Tony watched, a satisfied grin on his face as he lightly stroked himself while Jethro got himself turned around, lubed up and positioned between Tony's legs.

Tony spread his legs, opening himself up wide. He unintentionally held his breath, waiting in anxious anticipation for what was coming next as Jethro pushed gently against his legs, moving him into the position he wanted him in before running his fingers across the strong muscles in the back of Tony's thighs.

"Breathe," he reminded Tony in a soft whisper.

Jethro lined up, his grip on himself slippery, and pushed in, sinking all the way inside with no hesitation. He watched as Tony's eyes rolled back in his head and his arms went limp on the bed at the overwhelming pleasure.

"Stay with me," Jethro urged. "Stroke your cock, Tony. I wanna watch you stroke yourself."

"Feels so good," Tony muttered, lazily reaching for himself. "You feel so fucking good inside me."

Jethro wrapped his hand around Tony's and started stroking with the man before releasing him and watching Tony stroke himself. He continued moving their bodies together slowly enough to let some of the urgency fade and when he couldn't resist any longer, he reached out and touched.

Jethro tweaked Tony's nipples before carefully leaning over and tasting. He explored the man's chest and abdomen, avoiding bruises and sore spots before his fingers finally their way down to Tony's cock, lying proudly against Tony's belly, reaching up past his belly button.

Tony's breath caught at the thorough investigation of his most sensitive parts and he waited and watched to see what his lover was going to do next. Jethro pushed deep into the man and rubbed hard against his body, forcing more precum out of the tip of Tony's cock. He drew back and repeated the move, getting the same result then collected his prize and used it to lubricate Tony's cock as he began stroking him.

"I'm so close, Jethro," Tony warned helplessly as he writhed beneath the man's touch.

"I know," Jethro replied confidently. He pushed in deep again and set a steady rhythm of long, deep strokes while he played with Tony's dick perfectly.

"Jethro," Tony begged.

"We're gettin' there," Jethro promised, his breathing turning to panting. He continued pushing deep and rubbing hard while running his hand over Tony's length. His lover was so excited that there wasn't much give left but Jethro had plenty of lube on his hand to create a delicious friction that had Tony losing all control.

"Jethro," Tony said again, this time as more of a warning.

"Let go," Jethro urged.

Tony's breathing faltered at the command and his body went stiff before flinching hard as steady streams of white splattered across his belly, chest and the bed.

The site combined with Tony clenching around him stole the last of Jethro's control too and his cries joined Tony's, breaking through the silence of the night.

"You're gonna wake the neighbors," Tony teased approvingly as their bodies calmed.

"Shit, Tony," Jethro growled. He pushed in deep one last time and stilled his body, wanting nothing more than to collapse on Tony but resisting, knowing it would hurt him.

Sweat from Jethro's forehead dripped onto Tony, making Tony smile even wider. He loved that he could make Jethro lose control.

"I think I'm ready to sleep now," Jethro said.

Tony reached out and brushed his fingers across Jethro's cheek. Jethro took Tony's hand in his and pressed a kiss to it before releasing it and separating their bodies. He got them both cleaned up, flopped into bed, tugged Tony closer and settled in for a few hours of sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen: TV Detectives**

Balboa took great pleasure in tightening the handcuffs around Danny's wrists while Fornell did the same to Calhoun. Their boss, Major Raimey, looked on in disgust but remained silent. He'd just spent the last half hour in his office with the two agents, doing his best to persuade them that they couldn't arrest his men but in the end it had been futile. When the agents had threatened to bring him in too, he'd backed off.

"Any chance you can cuff our hands in front of us for the trip to the city?" Danny asked. "It's like an hour drive without traffic."

"I dunno," Balboa replied. "Did you cuff Tony's hands in front of him?" His question was met with silence but that came as no surprise.

An hour long ride turned into an almost two hour ride thanks to an accident just outside the city. Once they finally arrived, Danny and Calhoun were separated, processed and taken to two different interrogation rooms. Balboa and Fornell stood in the observation room between both rooms and watched the men.

"We focus our attention on Danny," Fornell suggested. "He's the one with the connection to Tony."

"I agree," Balboa replied, "but let's let him simmer for a little while longer."

After a trip to get some coffee and making sure they had all the information they needed organized in the folder they'd be taking in with them, they decided Danny had been stewing long enough and headed in.

Their questions were originally met with defiance and denials which the agents allowed, knowing Danny was just digging himself into a deeper hole with every lie he told, but their patience soon ran out.

"Cut the crap, Price," Fornell demanded as he slammed his fist down on the table. "You've been sitting here running your mouth for the last hour and a half and now we've got you contradicting yourself and contradicting the evidence we've collected. That's embarrassing and I'm sure you've been around the block enough times to know exactly how it's going to go over in court."

"We're subpoenaing your financial records," Balboa added. "There are agents searching your house as we speak. It's over, Danny."

Danny leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked at both men defiantly. "There's nothing more to tell."

* * *

Jethro had just headed off towards the elevator to head out for another cup of coffee when Tony appeared next to him.

"We're not having naughty time in the elevator," Jethro informed the man, "so don't even ask."

"I see you're still not seeing the real potential of this little mobile room," Tony muttered, "but that's not why I'm here. Abby found something. She told me to bring you with me."

Jethro pushed the button that would take them to Abby's lab and waited for the elevator to take them there.

"Last chance to spice your day up," Tony offered before the elevator stopped. "I'll give you head."

The elevator jerked to a halt and the doors opened. Jethro looked over at Tony exasperatedly before stepping off and heading over to where Abby was standing behind her desk.

"I found her lover," Abby's said excitedly, skipping the hellos, "and the reason there's no pictures of her with her boyfriends."

"Who?" Tony asked. "How? Where?"

Abby hit a couple keys on her computer as she spoke. "Thanks to Tony's discovery of her online handle, I was able to follow her around cyberspace. I hit the jackpot on Twitter."

"She was at the Brantley Gilbert concert?" Tony asked, reading one of the tweets. "Shows her taste in music is questionable."

"Well, Brantley Gilbert just broke your case," Abby said, "so you might have to rethink your opinion."

"About country music? Never."

"What's the break, Abby?" Jethro asked.

"Spending a little quality time with Brantley Gilbert and my fiancée," Abby read. She clicked on the attached picture and there was no mistaking the facts.

"That's Amanda," Tony said, "one of Jordyn's roommates."

"Jordyn was a lesbian?" Jethro asked.

"Either that or bisexual but considering the lack of guys in her life, I'm guessing lesbian. So, the question now is how did she get pregnant? Did they pick a sperm donor? Or was she raped?"

"Considering everyone we've talked to so far talks about how important her career is to her, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say she was raped," Tony said. His face scrunched up in disgust. "She was a lesbian and she was raped. It's like she was doubly violated."

"Aww," Abby whimpered.

"We need to head back to Quantico and talk to Amanda," Jethro said. "We'll stop for coffee on the way."

An hour and a half later, Jethro and Tony were sitting in their car with a Marine in Jordyn's unit and what they now knew to be her lover, Lance Corporal Amanda Grainger.

"We found Jordyn's Twitter account," Tony informed the younger woman gently. "We know your secret."

"Talk to us, Amanda," Jethro urged. "You obviously loved her. Help us get justice for both of you."

Amanda stared back and forth between both men for several long moments before finally opening her mouth. "We were always so careful," she said. "We knew both our jobs were at risk but Jordyn was having a harder and harder time hiding it. Not being able to kiss or hold hands in public, pretending like there was nothing special between us at work." Her head dropped into her hands with a sigh. "It was _so_ hard for her."

"I can't imagine it being any easier on you," Jethro guessed.

"It wasn't," Amanda admitted, "but we talked about it and both of us decided we wanted to stay in. We loved being Marines as much as we loved each other. So, we decided to stick with it but we exchanged rings and agreed to get married next summer. That would be good enough until we could have something more."

"Was a baby in your plans?" Tony asked cautiously.

Amanda couldn't hold back the tears any longer and once they started, she had a difficult time stopping them. Jethro offered her his handkerchief and he and Tony gave her a moment to compose herself.

"Jordyn and I went out with our unit to celebrate somebody's birthday. I don't even remember whose birthday it was. It was just an excuse to let loose and have a little fun."

"What happened?" Jethro prodded when Amanda didn't continue on her own.

"We were all drunk," Amanda admitted. She hesitated again but continued without prompting. "Jordyn and I got separated. I went looking for her and I finally found her in the alley behind the bar. This guy was pinning her to the wall with his body. At first I thought she was being mugged but then I realized she was being raped. By the time I got there, the guy was just finishing up. He was too drunk to even care that I'd stumbled on them."

"Why didn't Jordyn report it?" Jethro asked.

Amanda shook her head and sighed heavily. "She knew it would just turn into a he said she said and she didn't think it'd go anywhere since they were both drunk and she didn't wanna risk any career repercussions. She didn't want to go through the humiliation, have her name dragged through the mud and she figured the guy wouldn't even be punished anyways so she just put it out of her head. We both tried to put it behind us."

Tony cringed as he thought about the investigation surrounding him, where he was the victim but had somehow ended up under the microscope too. His heart went out to the young lance corporals, feeling helpless under a system that didn't quite protect them.

"And then you found out Jordyn was pregnant," Tony prompted.

Amanda frowned and nodded. "We'd only known for a week," she admitted. "I tried to talk her into aborting it but Jordyn didn't believe in that. She wanted to have the baby and give it up for adoption."

"Who else knew?" Jethro asked. "Did her rapist know?"

"Jordyn told him. She knew he'd find out when she started showing and for some reason she wanted to give him a heads up."

"When did she tell him?" Jethro asked.

Amanda thought back before answering. "The Thursday before she died."

Jethro nodded as he put his notebook aside and looked directly into Amanda's eyes. "Who raped Jordyn, Amanda?" he asked. "If the guy was going to find out about her pregnancy, he had to be someone in your unit, right?"

Amanda swallowed hard but held eye contact with Jethro. "Promise me you won't drag her name through the mud," she whispered.

"I promise," Jethro replied.

The Lance Corporal looked to Tony and then back at Jethro. "Corporal Eric Preston."

"He in your unit?"

Amanda simply nodded.

Jethro and Tony sent Amanda back to work then called legal to get a warrant for Corporal Preston's arrest. While they waited for it to come through, the two headed to the bar where Amanda said everything had happened. It had been over a month since the crime had been committed but they still looked around, interviewed employees, talked to a couple barflies, swabbed surfaces and asked about security footage which had long since been deleted.

"Our crime occurred at a dirty bar over a month ago," Tony said, "and the actual crime scene is outside in the elements. It's gonna be damn near impossible to prove rape. The fact that she's gay might help but she kept that a secret. Any decent defense attorney is gonna have a field day with that little tidbit."

"Just means we need a confession," Jethro replied, causing Tony to laugh. "What?"

"Rape is already damn near impossible to prove," Tony pointed out, "but on top of that, we have no victim to testify, no evidence to nail him with and since he's most likely our killer, he'll know confessing to rape is most likely going to lead to a murder charge. No way in hell are we going to get _any_ confession out of Corporal Eric Preston."

"Oh ye of little faith," Jethro replied. "When we get back, you'll watch and learn."

"I kinda wanna put money on that but your cocky confidence is scaring me off a little."

"I could use a little extra spending money," Jethro teased, taunting Tony a little more.

"And how, exactly, do you plan on getting him to confess?"

"Guilt," Jethro answered, "and wits. His guilt and my wits."

"Well I can hardly wait to see this," Tony said.

After the warrant came through, the two arrested Preston and headed back to the Navy Yard. By the time they got him settled in the interrogation room, Balboa and Fornell were just finishing up with Danny Price.

"How's it going?" Jethro asked as they crossed paths in the observation room.

"We've got enough circumstantial evidence to build a strong case," Balboa answered, "but neither of 'em are willing to give anything up."

"We just arrested them today though," Fornell added. "Maybe if they have a little time to simmer, they'll reconsider."

The group exchanged formal nods and handshakes then went their separate ways. Jethro called Abby up to observation then left Tony in observation while he and Abby went into interrogation.

"Watch and learn," Jethro told Tony before he left.

He bypassed the soft and gentle approach completely when he was face to face with Preston.

"Open your mouth," he ordered sharply.

"Sir?"

Jethro slammed his hand down on the table, making Preston jump. "Open your mouth," he ordered again.

Preston obeyed and Abby collected the DNA sample she'd come for then left Gibbs alone with Preston.

"That DNA sample my forensic scientist just took," Jethro said, pointing towards the door Abby had just exited through, "that's gonna match up to the fetal tissue taken from our dead Lance Corporal, Jordyn Harrison."

Preston opened his mouth to defend himself but he stuttered and stumbled and couldn't get a coherent thought out. Did he deny everything? Did he admit to consensual sex? He hadn't even realized NCIS was onto him and now he was face to face with a very intimidating agent who was demanding answers from him.

"You lie to me and I promise you things are gonna be so much worse for you," Jethro promised. " _So_ much worse."

Preston's heart was beating out of his chest as he tried desperately to catch up with Gibbs. "Jordyn," he said. "You're talking about Jordyn, right? I don't know what you're thinking but that was consensual. We were both drunk and we both regretted it as soon as we sobered up but I did not rape her."

"I didn't say anything about rape," Jethro pointed. "You got a guilty conscience?"

"Sir?"

"Jordyn was found murdered in the front yard of her childhood home," Jethro said. "I wanna know how she got that way."

"I-I-I don't know how she got that way, Sir. I don't know what happened."

"Well let me tell you what I know," Jethro said, his demeanor calm and confident. "I know Lance Corporate Hamilton never looked at a guy twice in her entire life. She was gay, Preston, so that bullshit story about consensual sex?" He lifted the table up slightly and slammed it down with a loud bang, startling Preston again. "I'm not buying it! What did I tell you about lying to me?" he demanded with a finger pointed in the man's face.

Preston leaned back in his chair, trying to put some distance between himself and his interrogator. "Is this about rape or murder, Sir?" he asked.

"Well, Corporal, interesting you should ask because I'm thinking whoever raped her, murdered her to stop her from having their baby and you know what else? I think that someone was you."

Preston's eyes widened and he swallowed hard. He was quiet for a long time, trying to avoid eye contact with Jethro but unable to resist the urge to peek at him in an attempt to try to read his expression. Discomfort and shock quickly turned to anger and frustration as his not so perfectly crafted plan fell apart before his eyes and it was his turn to slam his fists down on the table.

"Damn it!" he cursed.

"Tell me," Jethro said sharply.

"I was drunk. We were both drunk!"

"My sexual orientation doesn't change when I'm drunk," Jethro pointed out. "She did _not w_ ant to have sex with you, Corporal."

Preston slowly shook his head back and forth. "No," he said, "she didn't."

"How'd you find out she was pregnant?" Jethro asked.

"She told me and then I overheard her talking to Amanda," Preston admitted. "Jordyn refused to get an abortion and Amanda was pushing her to press charges. I didn't wanna go to jail."

"So you murdered her instead, and now you have little chance of ever getting out of jail," Jethro pointed out. "You really didn't think this one through, Eric."

"I panicked, Sir."

"Get yourself a good lawyer. You're gonna need one."

* * *

Jethro walked up and down the aisle in the hardware store where the interior doors were displayed while Tony followed behind him like a little lost puppy.

"It doesn't matter how many times you walk back and forth in this aisle, the door that you want isn't gonna magically appear," Tony told his lover. "I doubt they even make it anymore."

"I can't get something that doesn't match," Jethro said.

"Well you shouldn't have put your fist through the bathroom door!" Tony said.

"You shouldn't have gotten kidnapped!" Jethro countered.

"So this is my fault?"

"May I help you gentlemen?" one of the store associates asked.

"Are these all the interior doors you have?" Jethro asked. "Do you have anything older?"

"These are all the doors we have in stock," the associate answered. "If you're looking for something older, you might get lucky at one of the restore shops, sometimes thrift stores have stuff like that, an estate sale at a house that's a similar age or you might be able to find something online. You won't find anything like that at a big name hardware store though. They all about the latest and the greatest."

"Thanks for your help," Jethro replied with a smile. As soon as the man walked away, Jethro delivered a head slap to Tony, causing him to shriek and rub at the spot.

"What was that for?" Tony demanded quietly.

"For causing a scene," Jethro replied.

"You started it," Tony grumped, although the grumpiness was turning back to good natured fun. "What do you wanna do?"

Jethro sighed as he considered his options. "Let's just go," he said. "I'll switch the bathroom door with one of the doors upstairs that way company won't see the hole. We can keep an eye out for an adequate replacement."

"Next time you decide to punch a hole in something, do it in the drywall, will ya?" Tony joked. "It's a lot easier to replace."

* * *

Balboa danced around the punching bag in the NCIS gym, throwing punches and ducking away from the imaginary enemy fighting him. He threw jabs and delivered upper cuts as his feet moved in perfect rhythm with his arms. Sweat trickled down his back and dripped from his forehead but Balboa didn't stop until his cell phone started going off.

He unfastened the Velcro on one glove with his teeth, pulled it off then removed the other glove and tossed them towards his gym bag as he grabbed his phone and water bottle.

"This is Balboa," he greeted before squirting some water into his mouth while he listened.

"This is Officer Drummond over at the jail," the man greeted. "Prisoner Danny Price wants to see you."

Balboa wiped the hand towel he kept in his bag over his forehead as he listened in surprise. He hadn't expected Danny to break so quickly or easily. He was planning on long hours of intense interrogations. "We'll be there later this morning," he replied. "Thanks."

Two and a half hours later, he was sitting in a private room in the jail next to Fornell with Danny sporting his orange jumpsuit on the other side of the table.

"You wanted to chat?" Balboa asked, giving off the impression that he had better places to be.

"I'll talk," Danny reluctantly agreed, "but first I want something from you guys."

"What do you want?" Fornell asked. He kept his tone even and gave off the air of almost being inconvenienced. Neither he nor Balboa we're going to make anything easy on Danny.

"I wanna do my time either in the Midwest or out west," Danny answered.

"Why?"

"Because nobody knows me out there," Danny answered.

Balboa and Fornell shared a look then turned back to the prisoner.

"Done," Fornell replied.

"But only if you tell us the truth," Balboa added. "Now talk."

"Calhoun and I arrested Tony," Danny admitted. "We took him to Baltimore and beat him up until he started seizing."

"Why?" Fornell asked.

Danny broke eye contact and looked down at the table. He chewed nervously on the inside of his lip, hesitating before answering. "To protect my secret. _Our_ secret."

"Who is 'our'?"

"Me," Danny answered before hesitating again, "and Major Raimey. I don't know who else or even if there is anyone else."

"What's the secret?" Balboa asked.

"We were getting a cut in a money laundering scheme," Danny answered. "We sent potential clients to our contact and if they decided to do business, we got a cut. The more clients we sent, the more money we made."

"You don't know who all was involved?" Fornell asked.

Danny shook his head. "Raimey said it was safer that way. If one person got caught or grew a conscience, they wouldn't be able to take the whole operation down."

"What does all this have to do with Tony?" Balboa asked.

"At first, when Raimey told Calhoun and I to go get Tony, I thought Tony was in on the whole scheme," Danny said. "I thought Raimey was just trying to keep him quiet but he was so confused about why we'd grabbed him and taken him to Baltimore and he was even more confused about the beating. Later on, Raimey finally admitted Tony wasn't in on the scheme but he said he thought Tony knew about it and we had to keep him quiet."

"What about you?" Balboa asked curiously. "What do you think?"

"I think if Tony knew anything, he would've used it to try to stop the beating," Danny admitted. "I think the beating was just Raimey's way of getting back at Tony."

"Getting back at Tony?"

"For lying to him. For presenting himself as someone he's not," Danny said. He looked between both men and continued on when he saw that they were waiting for him to explain himself. "For being gay."

Balboa narrowed his eyes. "Is that why you agreed to do it?" he asked. "You took pleasure in that beating, didn't you? You were happy to get back at Tony for being gay, weren't you?"

Danny's jaw clenched but he remained silent.

"How do you know he's gay?" Fornell asked.

"His dad outed him," Danny explained, desperate to make them understand.

"Did you know his father's been following him around, telling lies about him ever since he graduated from college?" Fornell asked. "That man will say anything to turn people against Tony, uproot him from the life he's built for himself and make his life miserable."

"Are you saying he's not gay?" Danny asked.

Fornell shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know," he answered, "and to be honest I could care less. Tony is Tony. I haven't known him anywhere near as long as you have but he's damn good at his job, has a good head on his shoulders and you won't find a more loyal friend. Nothing else matters."

"Am I gonna get my deal or what?" Danny asked coldly.

* * *

Jethro straightened out his shirt and tucked it into his pants, buttoned and then zipped them as he came around the front of the car, all while Tony leered approvingly.

"If you're gonna have to readjust everything whenever you get out of the car anyways, you might as well take me up on the road head offer," Tony commented. "That'd be a much more fun reason to have to readjust."

Jethro shot a glare back at his partner as he continued up the front walkway.

"Sorry," Tony said, despite not looking the least bit apologetic. As soon as Jethro turned his back to him again, Tony smirked. One day he would talk the man into road head.

Jethro knocked on the door and waited until it was unlocked and opened. "Ma'am," he greeted with a formal nod of his head.

"Please, come in," Peggy said, stepping aside and welcoming the agents into her home. "Can I get you guys anything to drink? Coffee? Tea? Ice water?"

"No thank you," Jethro said. "We'll be quick."

"We just stopped by to tell you we got Jordyn's killer," Tony said. "Not only did she help us catch him, she helped stop a violent rapist from victimizing more women."

"I'm sure you already know this, Ma'am," Jethro said, "but your daughter's a hero. Her sacrifice wasn't in vain. She made her country proud."

"Thank you both," Peggy replied.

"We're sorry for your loss," Jethro said.

* * *

Two sets of bare feet were propped up on the coffee table and there were two ice cold beers on the end tables on either side of the couch. Reports had been done, their case had been closed and it was time to relax and unwind.

The playfulness had already started. There had been ass pinching and nipple twisting, crotch grabbing and slapping and tickling of any body part they could reach.

The fun came to an abrupt halt when Jethro's cell phone started dancing across the coffee table.

"Noooo," Tony groaned while Jethro reached for it and answered.

Jethro was on the phone for less than a minute before he hung up and tossed it back onto the coffee table. "Put your pants on," he told Tony. "We have a case."

"But, but we're both all hot and bothered now," Tony whined. "Lemme suck your dick real quick… Road head?... Why can't we be like those TV detectives and roll up to the crime scene tomorrow morning?"

 **The End**

* * *

 **Author's Note:** The end kind of snuck up on me so I'm guessing it really snuck up on some of you guys. If I realized it was so close, I would've given you guys a heads up in the last chapter. Thank you all so much for all of your support, especially while I had family in town and wasn't responding to reviews! You guys really keep me going and knowing you're enjoying my stories and waiting for more keeps me inspired to continue writing. I can't thank you all enough!


End file.
